Picture and information from the "Toronto Star"Nov.29,2008.
A rare moment in the dance of the planets brings Jupiter and Venus in close proximity this week. A third event-the moon passing close by-will take place on Monday, December 1, 2008. Viewers in North america will join the spectacle a few hourws after the closest point, which will be visible in Europe at dusk (about 11 a.m. Toronto, Canada time).
The three tenors of the night sky will reunite, an event that may not be seen again for another 40 years.
A crescent moon will join Venus and Jupiter, which will have been slowly moving closer to each other, creating a triumvirate of the three brightest objects in the heavens. The planets will not be as close or as visible again, until 2052.
Second from the sun, and relatively close to Earth, Venus is covered in impenetrable white clouds that reflect 75% of the sun's light, making it the brightest planet. Jupiter, meanwhile-five time the distance of the Earth from the sun-owes its status as second brightest to its left.
Jupiter is twice as big as all the others combined and its diameter is 11 times that of the Earth's.
The sight will be visible in Toronto from about 5 p.m. to about 6:20 p.m. on Monday, 20 degrees above the southwest horizon. And the heavenly show would be hard to miss if it's a clear night.
The planets will be visible to the naked eye, separated only by a finger width held at arm's length. In reality, Venus and Jupiter are orbiting millions of kilometres away from each other.
On Monday, December 1, 2008 even the weakest binoculars should bring Jupiter's four planet-sized moons into focus.
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