Chennai skywatchers can view Jupiter and Venus conjunction on June 9
Skywatchers in Chennai can look forward to a striking celestial display on June 9, 2026, as Jupiter and Venus will appear unusually close together in the evening sky. The two brightest planets will participate in a conjunction, appearing just 1.6 degrees apart despite actually being separated by hundreds of millions of kilometres.
The planets have been approaching each other for weeks. According to Sky & Telescope, the official magazine of the American Astronomical Society, the visual distance between the two planets will be roughly three full moons apart, which is a little more than the width of a pinkie finger held at arm’s length.
Experts stated that the event will be visible to the naked eye, though binoculars or a telescope will provide a clearer view. Stargazers can spot the pairing by looking towards the west-northwest direction in the sky approximately 45 minutes after sunset.
Soundararaja Perumal, the former executive director of the Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre, explained that Venus is on eastern elongation and will be moving east of the Sun until August. This means it will continue to brighten through August, though its full round disc may not be visible. Meanwhile, Jupiter is far from Earth and will appear slightly dim, but both will remain visible without optical aids.
The close alignment is a line-of-sight illusion. Venus will actually be located 80 to 85 million kilometres from Earth, while Jupiter will be positioned about 900 million kilometres away.
Perumal noted that conjunctions involving Venus and Jupiter are infrequent and not always easily visible from Earth. The last such conjunction occurred in August 2025. While the next rendezvous is scheduled for August 25, 2027, it may be difficult to view due to its proximity to the Sun, making November 10, 2028, the next clear viewing opportunity.
Other planets will also be in the vicinity on June 9. Mercury will be in the northwestern sky, though it may be harder to spot as it appears lower in the twilight and reflects less sunlight than Venus. The visibility of Mars and Saturn is expected to be average, while Neptune and Uranus will be extremely difficult to see without optical aid.
