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Halloween Visit from Venus, Jupiter and Antares

They will be clearly visible on Halloween night

By Dan Talpalariu, Science Editor

31st of October 2008, 11:29 GMT

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Tonight's Venus and Moon positioning at midnorthern latitudes
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Those of you who will have the time and proper conditions to gaze at the night sky tonight should know that it's going to be a literal version of an all-star Halloween on a small scale. Well, actually, not all stars, but you know what they say about three being a crowd – we could apply this here as well. Moreover, three nights later, the Moon and Venus will be aligned in a very interesting “trick or treat”-y circumstance. Of course, you'll just have to hope for the clouds not mess up the celestial event, if you eventually do decide to look into it.

 

So, for tonight, should weather conditions not play any trick and instead just treat sky watchers with generosity, you should look towards the west when the sun is setting, where you'll be easily able to spot a bright Venus hanging over the crescent moon. Above them, way to the left, is going to be Jupiter, almost as shining as Venus. An imaginary line drawn from Jupiter to Venus will lead to the exact spot where the Sun set, indicating the ecliptic – the apparent path that the Sun follows on the sky due to the Earth's orbit around it.

 

After a while, when darkness becomes thicker, another bright visitor will appear to watch over Halloween celebrations – the star Antares, which will be visible at a small distance to the right of the Moon. The group of 3 celestial bodies will be bright enough to be observed even from big, intensely illuminated cities, under clear sky conditions and if tall constructions don't occlude the view of the celestial conjunction, as the phenomenon is scientifically called.

 

Only three days later, Monday evening, November 3, another celestial conjunction can be spotted, as the Moon and Jupiter get closer to each other. And, a month from now, on the first day of winter, meaning on December 1, the two bodies, together with Venus, will be so close that, according to NASA explanations, if you were to stretch your arm forward, you could blot all three of them with just your thumb. In the meanwhile, just stick to using your special powers to influence the weather.

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Venus | Jupiter | Moon | Antares | star
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