Venus and Jupiter Conjunctions
Venus and Jupiter are the two brightest planets, so when they meet in the same small patch of sky the pairing is unmistakable: two brilliant points you can sometimes cover with a fingertip. Here are the upcoming and most recent meetings, worked out live in your browser.
Computing the next conjunction…
| Conjunction date | In the zodiac | How close | Gap since previous |
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Dates and positions are computed live in your browser and are accurate to well under a degree. "How close" is the separation along the ecliptic; the zodiac position is the tropical longitude (0° at the spring equinox).
About this pairing
A conjunction is the moment two planets share the same position along the zodiac, the line the Sun, Moon and planets all trace across our sky. Venus shines at about magnitude minus 4 and Jupiter near minus 2, far brighter than any star, so a Venus-Jupiter conjunction is the easiest of all to spot. The two meet a little more than once a year on average, though the spacing wanders because Venus keeps close company with the Sun.
Some of these meetings are strikingly tight, with the pair drawing within a fraction of a degree, while others pass a few degrees apart. The separation column below shows how close each one runs, in degrees or, for the closest, in arcminutes (sixty to a degree).
Because Venus never strays far from the Sun, a Venus-Jupiter conjunction is always a dawn or dusk event, low in the east before sunrise or the west after sunset. A close one in June of 2 BC, when the two all but merged into a single star in Leo, is one of several events that have been proposed as the Star of Bethlehem, although that remains one hypothesis among many rather than an established fact.
Frequently asked questions
How often do Venus and Jupiter meet in the sky?
On average a little more than once a year, though the spacing wanders because Venus never strays far from the Sun. The exact upcoming and recent dates are in the table above.
Why is a Venus-Jupiter conjunction so easy to see?
Venus and Jupiter are the two brightest planets, far brighter than any star, so when they pass close together the pairing is unmistakable to the naked eye from almost anywhere with a clear horizon. Because Venus stays near the Sun, the meeting is always low in the dawn or dusk sky.
Other conjunctions
Keep exploring
Planetary Alignment Calculator
Conjunction and opposition dates for any pair of planets, and multi-planet line-ups.
SkyToday in the Sky
Where the Sun, Moon and planets sit right now, and the next sky events.
InteractiveThe Live Orrery
Watch the planets move and see these meetings unfold from above.