Another planetary conjunction about to line up above Kamloops, Okanagan

Jupiter and Mercury will appear close together in the night sky from Kamloops and the Okanagan on the evening of March 27-28.

The planets are in conjunction and just a little more than one degree will set them apart in the sky, which is about the distance of two diameters of the moon, according to earthsky.org.

“We might have a hard time seeing it though, since Jupiter is getting closer and closer to the horizon after sunset,” said Debra Carvono, an astrophotographer from Osoyoos.

“Jupiter and Mercury are bright planets when you’re able to see them at their best altitude above the horizon, but I don’t think they’re going to be terribly high.”

Carvono said the best chance to witness the phenomenon will be during the early evening, when it’s dark enough to see the planets in the sky, but not too late or the planets will have drifted beyond the horizon. It will occur in the western skies, and hopefully the weather will cooperate by offering a clear view.

She finds it fascinating how planets will appear to be close together from the perspective of earth, while in reality they’re separated by a vast distance.

“It makes us really think about where we are,” Carvono said. “You’re not looking down at all your troubles on earth, you’re looking out at other planets among countless others.”

Earlier this month, there was another planetary conjunction between Jupiter and Venus.

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