Venus and Jupiter will meet in the western sky on June 9, putting two of the brightest planets side by side after sunset for stargazers across the United States. Venus will sit less than 20 degrees above the horizon, while Jupiter appears just to its lower left, close enough that the pair can fit in the view of 10x50 binoculars.

Anthony Wood, who joined Space.com in April 2025, said the two planets will be separated by less than 2 degrees. That is close enough to make the pairing stand out even without optical aid, though binoculars will frame the scene well for anyone checking the sky as dusk settles in.

The alignment matters now because June 9 is the night it happens. Stargazers looking west at sunset will also find Mercury in the same sky view, shining about 10 degrees below and to the lower right of Venus and Jupiter, but it will be harder to pick out against the bright glow near the horizon. The window is brief, and the best view comes soon after sunset before the planets sink lower.

What follows is just as important. Venus will rise above Jupiter in the nights after the conjunction, and Jupiter will become progressively harder to spot after June 9. By early July, it will be a challenge to see in the glow of the setting sun, then it disappears from view until mid-August, when it returns in the eastern morning sky. Venus will keep moving on as well, shining with Messier 44, also known as Praesepe or the Beehive Cluster, on June 20.