After the sun sets in March 2012, you will surely see two bright planets near each other in the western sky. They are Venus and Jupiter, still edging closer together in the dusk. Wow! What a sight. You might also see the elusive planet Mercury – and the even more elusive zodiacal light – in the western sky, if you are looking in a place where you can see the horizon. For those living in the Northern Hemisphere, Mercury is nearing the end of its best evening apparition of the year. Meanwhile, the zodiacal light is best in the evening, from Northern Hemisphere locations, at this time of year. Tonight, at mid-northern latitudes, Mercury sets at about the time that dusk ends and zodiacal light begins.
Zodiacal light seenfrom Paranal. Image Credit: Wikipedia Commons
Find the zodiacal light. If you have a dark, moonless sky, the zodiacal light can be seen in the west about 90 to 120 minutes after sunset through March and April. This observation is not for city dwellers, but if you find yourself beneath a dark country sky – or perhaps driving along a country road at dusk – look westward after sunset for this cone of light extending up from the western horizon. Refer to the brilliant planets Jupiter and Venus, for it’s in this part of the sky that you’ll see the zodiacal light.
Everything you need to know about zodiacal light or false dusk
Zodiacal light looks like a large but faint milky-colored pyramid of light with its apex reaching perhaps halfway up the sky. It is caused by sunlight reflecting off interplanetary dust particles that orbit the sun within the inner solar system. People at mid-northern latitudes can see the zodiacal light after dusk at present because the ecliptic – the plane of the solar system – hits the horizon at a particularly steep angle on late winter evenings. The farther south you live within the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate zone, the more likely you are to spot the zodiacal light.
Find the elusive planet Mercury. To find Mercury, look first for the blazing planets Venus and Jupiter at dusk. Mercury sits below these worlds, appearing over the sunset point on the horizon about 45 to 75 minutes after the sun goes down. Mercury shines as brightly as a 1st-magnitude star, but its luster is tarnished by the twilight glare. If you can’t see Mercury with the eye alone, then try binoculars. At mid-northern latitudes, Mercury sets about 80 minutes after the sun.
Top tips for using ordinary binoculars for stargazing
You won’t see the zodiacal light until the sky is completely dark, so Mercury will be setting as this astronomical wonder comes into view.
2012 guide to the five visible planets
Don’t know sunset time? Try a sky almanac
Bottom line: In March 2012, we are seeing the planets Jupiter and Venus in the west after sunset. They are very bright – an amazing sight. You can also still find the innermost planet Mercury below Venus and Jupiter. It is nearing the end of its evening apparition – so look soon! On moonless nights in March and April 2012, look in the west – in the direction of the dazzling planets Jupiter and Venus – for the mysterious zodiacal light! Although the planets can be seen from the city, viewing the zodiacal light requires a country location.
I want to know what are the 2 bright lights under Orion are called – I guess they are planets. I believe the one started up in the east and has aliened with the other – thank you
Laura,
There are no visible planets close to Orion right now, so I’m guessing that you were looking at the stars Rigel and Sirius. I refer you to the sky chart on our March 2 program at http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-shines-in-front-of-winter-circle-on-march-2. Keep in mind, however, that the moon won’t be close to Orion tonight, as it was on March 2, 2012.
Bruce
God is greate!
I think Earth sky org. is not only a website but also it is my guide!
hiya i am lookin out my bed room window and facing west there are 2 bright stars together and they keep fading and reapearing its so magical could this be the 2 planets?
this is seen in middlestone moor spennymoor codurham
where can you see the zodiacal lights?
They said in the article, the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere
MARS looking beautiful again , ORION in it’s splendour moving westward . Lovely evening UK north of BIRMINGHAM .
Saw these planets tonight. Fantastic sight. Knew they werent just stars too bright and twinkly. Will be looking out tomorrow for sure.
Just played a game with my daughter and her friends over text – the first one to name the two bright lights in the sky wins XX dollars. It was fun and got them to step outside and appreciate. It is a beautiful sight.
Bright and clear in the skyline over Auburn, Maine. Beautiful!
They look fantastic from Wisconsin. Awe inspiring sight. Love this website, great resource for me!
Really bright here in sw Florida too. Awesome!
A wonderful sight. Nice and bright in South Bend, Indiana
It’s beautiful in the coastal plains of North Carolina. Thank you so much for the information on this site.
how is it that we can see both jupiter and venus from earth? shouldn’t they be on opposite sides of our planet?
thanks for the website– a nice reference :)
because I don’t believe it’s Venus and Jupiter….If you observe the brightest one thru a telescope or binocs, it has red and blue objects twinkleing top and bottom near it…….and since when has Jupiter been that bright or been able to view it with the naked eye?…….this object they keep saying is Venus, I have been watching it, and it’s getting closer……something is going on out there
Trust me!, i’ve been watching the night sky for years and i’m sure the one
is getting closer for sure!!!. They are saying Jupiter and Venus?, Never before have i noticed this. I am surprised no one else has noticed. This could be it! ,
About them colors, i thought i was seeing things, but you are absolutely right . there are funny colors coming out of it!!!! .
Robin,
As seen from Earth, Venus is very near the eastern edge of its obit. Venus, the second planet outward from the sun, is heading toward Earth in its smaller, faster orbit around the sun. Venus will go in between the Earth and sun on June 5, 2012, to move from the evening to the morning sky.
As for Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun, it lodges way beyond Venus, even though the two worlds are almost aligned on the same line of sight in middle March 2012. Because Earth goes faster than Jupiter does, Jupiter – as seen from Earth – is dropping toward the sun. Jupiter will swing behind the sun on May 13, 2012, to pass from the evening to the morning sky.
This is so amazing!! I can clearly see the planets. My son let me know the larger one is Venus. I’m so in awe. It’s beautiful.
From Detroit Mi.
A brilliant display to gaze upon, from Fillmore, California.
The sky was so very pretty! It was magical to see two planets shinning so bright, along with the moon. This is AWSOME!!!
from Charlotte, North Carolina. (Southwest).
Jupiter and Venus blazing side by side in the west. Mars pink and twinkling in the east.- As good as it gets here in Denver,Colo.
Bedazzling view in Atlantic City, Jew Jersey!
Beautiful evening in Holly Grove, Virginia. Can’t wait to check out the Zodiacal Light tomorrow. Jupiter and Venus are bright as ever but I keep missing Mars.
and Mercury aswell
This is truly amazing and beautiful!! We live in a rural area in Ripley MS, with no street lights. Its breathtaking to see the sky so bright.
Here in Napa Mars seems so bright tonight! Great site you have here!
Blessed Be!, Cal
It was nice for me to show my mom today all the biggest star-like objects in the sky, on the same evening/night just past 8 pm: Jupiter and Venus to the west, Sirius and Canopus in the south, Mars to the east. I made sure to point out that this is an unusual occurrence, specially as of Mars –every two years only, a -1 mag or better Mars–. It’s so weird though, the sky seem to put “all the best stuff together” at once sometimes, and sometimes it leaves us almost with nothing –like when there’s no planets around and only the faintest, most insignificant constellations outside the Milky Way are out there, like Capricornus, Aquarius and Pisces, with their surrounding constellations, which are very insignificant as well, I mean compared to what we are seeing these days!
Just stepped outside in Oklahoma and saw this and was blown away at the brightness of them ..even with the city lights they are huge and incredibly bright and twinkly! :) what a very nice surprise to find.. glad i found your website also or i might not have known what they are, thank you.
From west of Oklahoma City at Route 66 Park we saw a beautiful view of the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter. Through 10 X 50 binoculars we saw two of the Galilean Moons of Jupiter. We believe they are Ganymede and Callisto. Also viewed Mars, the Orion Nebula and Moonrise over Lake Overholser. A great night for family astronomy!
What an amazing sight to see those two planets in the western evening sky. The moon is also bright and beautiful here in Chicago burbs.
Beautiful clear night here in SW Missouri. Just a fantastic sight in the western sky. Put a smile on my face and all for no charge.
WOW!!! What an amazing night in Corona Del Mar (Newport Beach) Southern California…most of the time we have a Marine Layer that prohibits the view…Venus and Jupiter are GLOWING BRIGHT and amazing TONIGHT! Makes you feel insignificant and a part of something so amazingly enormous…a grain of sand on the beach!! Have a Wonderful Night World!! ~Jason, CDM originally from Dublin
Amazingly bright in the low western sky here in east TN. Simply beautiful.
Venus looking pinkish right about now in the western Utah sky and Jupiter on top. I’ve been watching these two for several nights in a row when out on evening walks with my dogs. Peaceful and beautiful.
We’ve had beautifully clear views of Jupiter and Venus for close to a week! Amazed how they appear to stay in this visual allignment 10 and 4 oclock. Maybe more like 11-5 as they drop towards the horizon.
We are in Reno, Nevada.
What star, low on the western horizon at midnight in Boulder , CO. is flashing red and green? Tom Reed
Tom,
That’s Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky. You can also see it in the south at dusk or early eveening.
Bruce
TriCities Washington
Stepped outside from an auditorium and seen the two most beautiful bright stars I think I have ever seen. Amazing to say the least.
Succcch a beautiful sunset tonight and beautiful moon rise as well!! So many gorgeous colors!!!
WOW — WOW —–WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve watched these planets for weeks in complete awe! After long days of work, I have looked forward to just staring in the sky to the clarity and beauty of sky.
does anyone know which constellation the conjunction of jupiter and venus will be occuring in ? The entire display for weeks has been mezmorizing !
Robert,
For the answer, see EarthSky’s March 8 program at http://earthsky.org/tonight/get-ready-for-the-great-venusjupiter-conjunction
Bruce
Ok so someone give me a idea of what I saw.. Sounds similar as to what I read. Lastnight ( March 30,2012) I noticed around 10:30 a very very bright white object in the sky & you cult plaining see it flickering. It had a tint of red & a tint yellow in it & it looked very cloudy all the way around it. Couldn’t have been the north star Bc it was all alone & the compass on my iPhone stated it was in the Western almost North part of the sky. Well as we keep a eye on it, it moved.. Very slowly but I had it ligned up w/ something & it moved.. Sitting still watching it & it moves down behind the other apt buildings so I had to stand up to see it. Now by this time it was surely loosing the white bright color & it would fade & it would move slightly back & forth. Till it turned clearly red! Very very red & smaller & moving a tad bit faster. Then …BOOM IT WAS GONE! What could have this of been????? Going back out tonight to look for it again! I believe it was a shooting star or the north star but something strang. Maybe a satelite? Maybe UFO? Whatever it was I’m curious to know. Thanks! (:
Ok so someone give me a idea of what I saw.. Sounds similar as to what I read. Lastnight ( March 30,2012) I noticed around 10:30 a very very bright white object in the sky & you cult plaining see it flickering. It had a tint of red & a tint yellow in it & it looked very cloudy all the way around it. Couldn’t have been the north star Bc it was all alone & the compass on my iPhone stated it was in the Western almost North part of the sky. Well as we keep a eye on it, it moved.. Very slowly but I had it ligned up w/ something & it moved.. Sitting still watching it & it moves down behind the other apt buildings so I had to stand up to see it. Now by this time it was surely loosing the white bright color & it would fade & it would move slightly back & forth. Till it turned clearly red! Very very red & smaller & moving a tad bit faster. Then …BOOM IT WAS GONE! What could have this of been????? Going back out tonight to look for it again! I believe it wasnt a shooting star or the north star but something strang. Maybe a satelite? Maybe UFO? Whatever it was I’m curious to know. Thanks! (:
Kristen,
Sounds like it might have been a satellite. You can even find out at this web site: http://www.heavens-above.com/
Bruce