June 23 – 30, 2021: Venus is quickly catching Mars in the western sky after sun. Venus passes the Red Planet next month.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Brilliant Venus shines from the west-northwest after sunset. Dimmer Mars is to the Twin Planet’s upper left. The Red Planet is visible to the unaided eye, but a binocular helps see it in the colorful hues of evening twilight.
Venus moves faster eastward along the ecliptic, the solar system’s plane, than Mars. The brilliant planet passes Mars on July 12.
On June 23, the gap from Venus to Mars is 11.4°. On this evening, Mars is in front of the Beehive star cluster. With a binocular view Mars is seemingly snuggled in the cluster. Watch Mars move away during the next few evenings.
Venus is near Pollux, one of the Gemini Twins. On June 24, Venus is below an imaginary line that starts at Castor and extends through Pollux. The next evening, Venus is above that line.
On June 25, Venus moves into Cancer, the sky’s dim region between Pollux and Regulus, a span of nearly 40°.
On June 27, the Venus – Mars gap is 9.1°.
As the month ends, the gap between the planets is 7.4°. Venus is approaching the Beehive star cluster. The stellar bunch is low in the sky during twilight, a situation that is very unfavorable to see.
Through a binocular Venus is 2.7° to the lower right of the cluster of stars.
Articles and Summaries
- Venus as an Evening Star
- Venus Evening Star (Summary)
- Mars during 2021 (Summary)
- Planets during June 2021
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2026, October 2: Three Bright Planets and the Moon Before Sunrise
October 2, 2026: The moon passes Elnath before reaching Last Quarter phase. Mars approaches the Beehive cluster while Jupiter shines near Regulus and Saturn nears opposition. - 2026, October 1: Moon Passes Aldebaran and Approaches Jupiter Occultation
October 1, 2026: The waning moon shines in front of Taurus near Aldebaran and the Pleiades. Watch it move toward Mars and an occultation (eclipse) of Jupiter across North America. - 2026, September 30: See Saturn Through a Telescope
September 30, 2026: Look for opportunities to see Saturn through a telescope at a local museum or public sky watching event. Check our directory. - 2026, September 29: Mars and Jupiter Before Sunrise, Saturn Near Opposition
2026, September 29: Mars and Jupiter Before Sunrise, Saturn Near Opposition - 2026, September 28: Harvest Moon Shines Near Saturn While Jupiter and Mars Dominate the Morning Sky
September 28, 2026: The Harvest Moon shines near Saturn while Jupiter and Mars brighten the predawn sky. Venus and Mercury remain low after sunset as Saturn approaches opposition.