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'Double Planet' in the skies tonight, as Venus and Jupiter blaze together

The brightest and second-brightest planets in the sky will come extremely close to one other tonight – and it will all be visible with the naked eye.

Mar 12th 2012, 11:26 AM 7,771 Views 8 Comments

File photo of the planets Venus, top left, and Jupiter, top right, burning together in 2008

Image: Rajanish Kakade/AP/Press Association Images

VENUS AND JUPITER will blaze brightly together in the sky after sunset tonight – and the sight will be visible with the naked eye, according to Astronomy Ireland.

The planets – the brightest and second-brightest in the sky – will come extremely close together (just 3 degrees apart) during the stunning conjunction.

Astronomy Ireland says that the amazing celestial event is occurring on the same night as its Public Lecture featuring NASA Scientist, Dr Peter Gallagher, who will explain how solar storms and northern lights work and how a new European-wide telescope project called LOFAR will allow us to learn more about the secrets of the Sun and the rest of the Universe.

The March Lecture, Seeing Solar Storms from Ireland, will take place at 8pm on Monday, 12 March, in Trinity College Dublin.

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'Double Planet' in the skies tonight, as Venus and Jupiter blaze together