Venus will appear just 0.2 degrees – less than the diameter of a full moon – south of Jupiter at its closest planetary summit, according to the astronomical site EarthSky. The planets will actually be millions of miles away, but from Earth they will look almost touching or colliding. Experts say those who wake up early can enjoy the rare spectacle if they look east at sunrise on the mornings of Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May. The closest meeting is expected to take place at 7 p.m. UTC (8 pm BST) on Saturday before the planets begin to move away from each other the next day. This will be the closest the two planets have appeared since August 2016, according to the astronomy site Space, with the next meeting expected in March 2023. Professor Lucie Green, a physics professor at University College London and chief astrologer at the Society for Popular Astronomy, told the BBC: “It’s very exciting for astronomers and it’s a really great opportunity for people to go out and take a look.” . The scientist suggested finding a high point and noticing two dazzling bright spots very close to each other low in the sky near the horizon. “The planets will differ in their brightness,” he said. “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. Photo of Venus (left) and Jupiter in the skies above Brighton Pier during a planetary session (PA Media)
