On July 12, Mars will come very close to Venus before separating.
Venus can be observed low in the northwest sky at sunset. However, Mars has not been seen for several weeks, as the red planet is moving away from the Sun, nearly opposite Earth. At a distance of 372 million kilometers, Mars is nearly 7 times farther and over 100 times dimmer than when it was closest to Earth.
Mars and Venus will be closest together on July 12. (Photo: Duluth News Tribune/NASA)
Venus is about 250 times brighter than Mars, with an apparent magnitude of -3.9 compared to Mars’ 1.8. Venus is always brighter than any star other than the Sun. Its maximum brightness, with an apparent magnitude of -4.9, occurs during its crescent phase when it is near Earth. Venus gradually dims to a magnitude of -3 when it is in a gibbous phase against the Sun.
After the Moon, Venus is the brightest natural object and can be easily seen in the dark sky. Meanwhile, Mars can only be observed at sunset and is very low in the sky, making it appear rather faint.
Venus is about 6 times the diameter of the Moon (20,844 km) from Mars on July 7. (Photo: Duluth News Tribune/NASA)
However, Mars is on its way to get close to Venus! On July 7, they were about 6 times the diameter of the full Moon apart. Both are getting closer each day as Mars climbs near the western horizon and Venus slides eastward to meet it.
The closest approach of the pair will be on July 12, just one Moon diameter (3,474 km) apart. Unfortunately, Mars is too dim to be seen with the naked eye for the reasons described above, so binoculars will be needed for observation. Even with binoculars, Mars will appear much fainter than Venus, like a spark compared to a flame.
Previously, on July 11, a beautiful 2-day-old Moon will add to the celestial scene, appearing to the right of the planetary pair. All three objects will be aligned along a horizontal line with the western horizon.
To observe this fascinating astronomical phenomenon, you will need a clear, unobstructed view as far from the western-northwestern horizon as possible. The planets will appear to the left of the Sun’s setting point. Venus will be clearly visible starting about 45 minutes after sunset and can be seen for about half an hour.
When spotting Venus, direct your binoculars towards the planet and focus on one point, then look for the fainter Mars to the left. If you’re lucky, you might witness the moment Mars “kisses” Venus as they come close together.
