Although they will actually be millions of miles apart, to astrologers on Earth they would seem close enough to almost collide in a planetary meeting that occurs once a year. However, this year Jupiter and Venus will look much closer to each other than usual and should be visible only with a pair of binoculars or even with the naked eye. If you miss it, you will have to wait another 17 years for a repeat of the show. In addition to the amazing planetary conjunction that appears, Saturn and Mars will also appear to be in a straight line with Jupiter and Venus. Brad Tucker, an astrophysicist at the National University of Australia, said the planets were getting closer in the last two weeks. “Although Venus and Jupiter approach each other every few years, this time there is also Mars and Saturn in the mixture which is quite rare,” he said. “If you have a telescope, a pair of binoculars or a decent camera, then you will have an even better view.” Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST Despite their narrow appearance, the planets will actually be 430 meters apart in orbit. The peak time to watch the event in the UK was around 5pm on Saturday from a high advantage with a clear eastern skyline. However, it will still be visible on Sunday and the days that follow as the planets move away again. From London, it will be almost impossible to see it, but the further west you are in the country, the closer the planets will look. Observers in Sydney, Australia will have a clear view of the pair of planets that are going to rise in the east at around 3.30 am. on the 1st of May. “The planets will differ in their luminosity,” Professor Lucie Green, a space scientist and chief astrologer at the Society for Popular Astronomy, told BBC News. “Venus is brighter than Jupiter, so it will look dazzlingly bright when you see it. Jupiter will be slightly fainter, about one-sixth of Aphrodite’s luminosity. Venus, Jupiter, Mercury and Mars united in the eastern sky in a formation that was unlikely to be seen again until 2040, during the first hours of sunrise on May 13, 2011.
