2024, August 18:  Venus-Saturn Opposition

August 18, 2024:  Venus and Saturn are at opposition.  Venus set as Saturn rises, signaling that both planets appear in the sky simultaneously.

2022, March 28: A close bunching of Venus, Saturn, Mars, and the crescent moon.
Photo Caption – 2022, March 28: A close bunching of Venus, Saturn, Mars, and the crescent moon.

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Venus-Saturn Opposition

Venus-Saturn opposition
Chart Caption – 2024, August 18: A Venus-Saturn opposition occurs. Venus sets as Saturn rises, announcing that Venus and Saturn begin appearing in the sky simultaneously.

Evening Star Venus and Ringed Wonder Saturn are in opposite directions from Earth – a Venus-Saturn opposition.  In other words, Earth is between Venus and Saturn.  Venus sets as Saturn rises, signaling that both planets begin appearing in the sky simultaneously, Venus in the western sky and Saturn near the east-southeast horizon.

This planet-planet opposition also announces a shift of the three bright outer planets – Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn – to the evening sky. After tonight’s Venus-Saturn opposition, Earth is between Venus and Jupiter on November 3rd.  The same occurs with a Venus-Mars opposition during early December, placing four bright planets in the evening sky.

Five Planets after Sunset

During late February 2025, the five bright planets are in the sky, simultaneously, but Saturn and Mercury are hiding in bright evening twilight and a binocular is needed to see them.  Venus and Jupiter, and perhaps Mars are visible without the optical assist.

Currently, Venus’ visibility suffers from a poor view of the solar system in the western sky after nightfall.  The solar system’s plane, known as the ecliptic, is poorly inclined with the western horizon.  This evening at 30 minutes after sundown, Venus is 21° east of the sun, but only 5° above the western horizon. While Venus is visible, Saturn is veiled by evening twilight.  The Ringed Wonder appears later during evening twilight, after Earth’s Twin planet sets.

On about September 10th, Venus and Saturn are visible simultaneously.  Venus sets at Nautical Twilight, an astronomical term when the sun is 12° below the western horizon.  At sea, the sky and the horizon are nearly indistinguishable. Venus is less than 5° above the western horizon and Saturn is nearly 10° up in the east-southeast.

By mid-October, Venus is over 5° above the southwestern horizon, while Saturn is about 20° above the southeast horizon.

Venus-Saturn Conjunction

2024 2025 Venus Evening Star
Chart Caption – 2025, January 18: A Venus-Saturn conjunction. The gap between the planets is 2.2°.

Each evening, as the bright outer planet parade enters the evening sky, they are farther westward at the same time interval after sunset. When 2025 begins, Saturn is in the western sky after sundown.  Venus passes by on January 18th.  Venus has no conjunctions with Jupiter or Mars during this evening appearance.  A Venus-Jupiter conjunction occurs in the morning sky on August 12, 2025.  

Venus, Mars, February 19, 2015
Chart Caption – Venus, Mars, February 19, 2015

While Venus passes Mars near their solar conjunctions during early 2026, a conjunction occurs November 24, 2027, although this is in bright evening twilight.  Another conjunction in bright twilight occurs on June 14, 2028.  The next easy-to-see Venus-Mars conjunction occurs on September 8, 2028, in the eastern morning sky, when the planets are over 40° west of the sun.

During the next several months, watch the bright outer planets enter the evening sky, joining Venus.

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