Update: Venus and Saturn, December 10, 2019
Venus has a conjunction with Saturn on December 10, 2019. Venus is beginning an appearance in the evening sky. The brilliant planet passed Jupiter on November 24, and began to approach Saturn. This is the second conjunction with Saturn during the Ringed Wonder’s current apparition (appearance). Watch Venus close the gap on Saturn and pass it on December 10.
The passing of these two planets is a slow moving show that occurs over several nights. First, find a clear horizon in the southwest, free from trees, houses, buildings, and other possible obstructions.
In the charts that follow, several of them are displayed for a time interval after sunset. Use local sources for the time of your sunset.
On December 2, 45 minutes after sunset, shows Venus about 9° up in the southwest. It is about 10° to the lower right of Saturn. On the next evening, December 3, the three evening planets – Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn – are nearly equidistant tonight, but they are not along the same arc in the sky: Venus – Saturn, 8.6°; Venus – Jupiter, 9.7°.
Venus continues to move eastward compared to the starry background toward Saturn. On December 5, Venus passes 1.9° to the upper right of Sigma Sagittarii. Venus continues to close the gap on Saturn. Venus – Saturn separations until the conjunction: Dec 7, 4.3°, Dec 8, 3.3°; Dec 9, 2.4°.
Venus passes Saturn on December 10. At mid-twilight (about 45 minutes after sunset), Venus, over 11° up in the southwest, is 1.8° to the lower left of Saturn.
Venus – Saturn gaps after the conjunction as Venus moves away: Dec 11, 1.9°; Dec 12, 2.5°; Dec 13, 3.4°, Venus is to the upper left of Saturn; Dec 14, 4.4°, Dec 15, 5.4°.
Venus continues eastward against the starry background, moving farther away from Saturn. on December 19, one hour after sunset, Venus, 12° up in the southwest, is nearly 10° to the upper left of Saturn. Venus moves into Capricornus.
Venus-Saturn Conjunctions, 2021-2025
Conjunctions of Venus and Saturn are not rare, but they are infrequent enough for us to take notice. The table below describes upcoming conjunctions of the two planets.
| Date | Location | Separation | Description |
| February 6, 2021 | Southeast before sunrise. | 0.5° | This is a very difficult conjunction to see. Venus is only 2° up 10 minutes before sunrise. |
| March 29, 2022 | East-southeast before sunrise. | 2.1° | About an hour before sunrise, the pair is easy to see. Venus is to the upper left of Saturn. Mars is nearby, 4.4° to the upper right of Saturn. On the morning before the conjunction, the waning crescent moon joins the scene. |
| January 22, 2023 | West-southwest after sunset. | 0.3° | The pair is 8° up one hour after sunset. Venus is left of Saturn. The waxing crescent moon is about 8° to the upper left of Venus on the evening before the conjunction |
| March 21, 2024 | East before sunrise. | 0.6° | This is another difficult conjunction to view. The pair is less than 5° up 10 minutes before sunrise. Venus is to the upper right of Saturn. |
| January 20, 2025 | Southwest after sunset. | 2.2° | This is an easily viewed conjunction. Venus is to the upper left of Saturn. The pair is over 20° up in the southwest 2 hours after sunset. |