You’ll be able to see Mars and Venus in ‘planetary conjunction’ Monday night
By Tom Yun, CTVNews.ca Writer
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TORONTO, Ontario (CTV Network) — Look up to the sky on Monday night and you’ll see Mars and Venus gathering together alongside the moon.
NASA says the two planets will be so close together in the sky, it will appear as if they are separated by “only a finger’s width apart.” Whenever two or more planets appear really close together in the sky, it’s a phenomenon that astronomers call a “conjunction.”
NASA conjunction
Venus is often called the “Morning Star” or the “Evening Star” given that it’s usually only visible before sunrise or after sunset, depending on the time of year. On Monday, Venus will appear close to the horizon in the west alongside Mars.
Depending on the amount of light pollution in your area, Mars may be difficult to see with the naked eye, given that the Red Planet will be significantly fainter.
A slim crescent moon will also be visible above the two planets. The moon will only be 10 per cent illuminated, preventing it from outshining the two planets and rendering them completely invisible.
The conjunction will only be visible for around an hour after the sun sets, and before the two planets move below the horizon.
However, the weather may pose another challenge for sky watchers in Canada. While Environment Canada says there will be clear skies in much of the country on Monday night, cloudy conditions are expected in southern Ontario and southern Quebec.
If you miss this planetary conjunction, you can catch the next one on Aug. 19, which will feature Mars meeting the planet Mercury.
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