On June 9, Venus and Jupiter will reach peak conjunction in the west-northwest, appearing close together. (Representational Image)
Hyderabad: A Venus-Jupiter conjunction on June 8 and 9 will headline a series of planetary alignments visible in Hyderabad’s evening sky this month. The display follows a recent Blue Moon and will feature Venus, Jupiter and Mercury appearing along the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun.
From June 4 to 6, Venus will move closer to Jupiter, narrowing the gap to about four degrees in the western sky after sunset, while Mercury begins to appear below them. On June 9, Venus and Jupiter will reach peak conjunction in the west-northwest, appearing close together.
By June 12, the three planets will form a compact alignment, with Mercury at its greatest elongation and highest point above the horizon for the month. Between June 16 and 18, a waning crescent Moon will join the grouping, creating a four-object — Venus, Jupiter, Moon, Mercury — alignment shortly after sunset.
Explaining the phenomenon, Dr K. Mruthyunjaya Reddy, director, Birla Observatory, said, “This mini planetary alignment showcases Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury gathering low in the west-northwest sky shortly after sunset.”
“While the planets remain hundreds of millions of kilometres apart in their respective orbits, their alignment is a beautiful line-of-sight phenomenon. Because all major planets orbit the Sun on a relatively flat plane called the ecliptic, they always appear to travel along this same cosmic highway from our vantage point on Earth. This month, the inner planet Venus is rapidly overtaking the gas giant Jupiter, leading to a tight conjunction, while Mercury climbs just high enough into the twilight glow to complete a three-planet parade,” he said.
“The ideal viewing window is between 7 pm and 8 pm IST. Sunset in Hyderabad occurs around 6.48 pm to 6:52 pm during mid-June. By 7.15 pm, twilight fades enough for Mercury to pop out. But do not wait too late, as Venus sets by roughly 9.20 pm, and Jupiter follows shortly after around 9.45 pm. Mercury will plunge below the horizon even earlier, around 8.15 pm. Since the planets sit low on the horizon, an unobstructed view toward the west-northwest is essential. Tall apartments, trees, or structural blocks will easily obscure Mercury and the Venus-Jupiter pair,” he explained.
According to a statement issued by the observatory, while Venus and Jupiter will remain visible despite urban sky glow, a darker location would improve visibility of Mercury and nearby constellations. It added that the planets can be observed without special equipment, though binoculars or small telescopes may enhance viewing of the June 9 conjunction.
“While no special equipment is required to enjoy the main alignment, you may use a pair of 10x 50 binoculars or a small refractor telescope for a better visual experience of the Venus-Jupiter pairing on June 9. You can also see the Galilean moons through the C11 telescope mounted high at the G.P. Birla Observatory. Keep an eye on the evening weather, watch out for monsoon cloud cover, and enjoy the celestial view.”
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