Evening Sky Alignment of Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury in Late May–Early June 2026

On the evening of May 25 2026, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter formed a straight line low in the western sky after sunset. Mercury rose to about 6° above the horizon half an hour later, shining at magnitude –1.1. Venus, the brightest at magnitude –3.9, sat between Jupiter (–1.9) and Mercury. The trio spanned roughly 17.8° on June 5.

Astronomy Magazine2026, June 5: Venus and Jupiter Tighten in the Western Sky After SunsetForbes

Mercury became visible after its mid-May superior conjunction, moving eastward relative to the Sun. Venus, an inner planet, continues to approach Earth, increasing its evening brightness. Jupiter, an outer planet, slowly descends toward the western horizon. Their combined motion tightens the Venus–Jupiter pair, leading to a close conjunction on June 9.

2026, June 5: Venus and Jupiter Tighten in the Western Sky After SunsetForbesAstronomy Magazine

Mercury shines at magnitude –1.1, 84 % illuminated, and appears about 6 arcseconds across 6° above the western horizon on May 25. Venus is magnitude –3.9, 78 % illuminated, and spans roughly 13 arcseconds; it lies near Castor’s toe in Gemini. Jupiter is magnitude –1.9, 81 % illuminated, also about 13 arcseconds wide, positioned in eastern Gemini. The angular separation between Venus and Jupiter was 4.0° on June 5, shrinking to 1.6° (? three lunar widths) on June 9. Venus is roughly six times closer to Earth than Jupiter.

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Source 1 lists Venus’s illuminated fraction as 81 % of its cloud-top disk, while Source 4 gives Venus a 78 % gibbous phase. Likewise, Jupiter’s illumination is described as 81 % in Source 1 but as nearly 100 % in Source 4. These differences reflect distinct measurement approaches rather than contradictory positions on visibility.

2026, June 5: Venus and Jupiter Tighten in the Western Sky After Sunset

Observers should look low in the western sky 30–45 minutes after sunset from an unobstructed site. Locate Jupiter, draw a line down to Venus, then extend it to find Mercury. Binoculars or a small telescope reveal Mercury’s tiny disk and Venus’s gibbous phase; the planets are visible unaided.

Astronomy Magazine2026, June 5: Venus and Jupiter Tighten in the Western Sky After SunsetForbes

The June 9 Venus–Jupiter conjunction, with a minimum separation of 1.6°, is expected to become one of 2026’s most photographed sky events. Its ease of observation offers a chance for informal astronomy education and for documenting planetary motion with simple equipment.

2026, June 5: Venus and Jupiter Tighten in the Western Sky After Sunset

• “Jupiter and Venus create spectacle view as they appeard extremely close on March 2, 2023 (Photo by Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images What’s that bright star tonight?” — Jamie Carter, Forbes contributor

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• “During the conjunction on June 9, Venus will be roughly seven times brighter than Jupiter.” — Jamie Carter, Forbes contributor

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• “All three celestial bodies fit into the same binocular field of view.” — Jamie Carter, Forbes contributor

2026, June 5: Venus and Jupiter Tighten in the Western Sky After Sunset

The closest approach occurs on June 9, after which Venus will dominate the evening sky through mid-August, reaching its greatest elongation. Mercury fades later in June as it moves toward solar conjunction, and Jupiter disappears into the Sun’s glare by late July, ending the brief planetary display.

2026, June 5: Venus and Jupiter Tighten in the Western Sky After SunsetAstronomy MagazineForbes