Mercury, Venus and Jupiter formed a three-planet parade low above the western horizon after sunset on June 12, making star above the moon tonight a brief skywatching target. The best viewing began 30 minutes after local sunset and lasted only about 30 to 45 minutes.
Venus was the first planet to look for in the bright sky. Mercury and Jupiter appeared down and slightly to the right of Venus, with the three planets forming a slanted line along the ecliptic in the west-northwestern sky right after sunset.
Venus, Mercury and Jupiter
Venus showed a small, intensely bright disk that was 80% illuminated and appeared as a gibbous shape. Mercury presented a half-moon phase and was 50% illuminated. Jupiter appeared as the much larger disk among the three.
The alignment followed a tight embrace between Venus and Jupiter on June 9, before the two drifted slightly apart and Mercury climbed up from the sun's glare to join them. That left a short window for anyone trying to see all three together after sunset on June 12.
June 12 viewing window
The timing was the limiting factor. The planets were available to watch only after the sky had dimmed enough to make them stand out, and Jupiter and Mercury followed the sun below the horizon when the window ended.
For skywatchers, the practical move was simple: look west after sunset, then wait until about 30 minutes after local sunset to catch the clearest view. The scene was brief, but the lineup on June 12 offered a rare chance to pick out Venus first, then find Mercury and Jupiter beside it before darkness closed the display.
West-northwestern sky
The three planets sat low, which kept the display close to the horizon and compressed the sight line into a narrow band of sky. That made the parade easiest to read as a slanted line rather than a wide spread, with Venus highest and Mercury and Jupiter below and to the right.
