Look Up in the Sky As Venus and Jupiter 'Collide'

The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter, the third- and fourth-brightest celestial bodies after the Sun and Moon, won’t be this close again until August 2016. (Photo by Flickr user Musubk)

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Skywatchers are in for a treat as Venus and Jupiter move closer together in late June and early July in what will be the planets’ closest conjunction until Aug. 27, 2016.

The best nights to view Venus as it passes Jupiter are the nights of June 30 and July 1, according to EarthSky.org. Unless it’s cloudy, it will be hard to miss the spectacular alignment, because Venus and Jupiter are the third- and fourth-brightest celestial bodies, respectively, after the Sun and Moon.

The planets will appear to race closer to the star Regulus, located above Jupiter above Jupiter, with each passing day. Regulus is the brightest star in the Leo the Lion constellation.

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• 2015’s Best Skywatching Bets

While you’ve got your eyes fixed toward the heavens, make a mental note – or, better yet, bookmark this page for easy referral later on – of two big meteor showers, the Delta Aquarids and Perseids, according to the website SeaSky.org.

The Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower: The remnant of two different comets, Marsden and Kracht, this shower runs from July 12-Aug. 23, peaking overnight on July 28th and into the morning of the 29th. Normal sightings are in the 20-per-hour range, but a full moon on the 31st will wash out all but the brightest meteors.

The Perseids Meteor Shower: Leftovers from the Swift-Tuttle comet, the Perseids are favorite among many skywatchers. Visible from July 17-Aug. 24, they will peak overnight on Aug. 12 with 60 sightings per hour. The show should be amazing this year with a new moon on the 14th making for dark skies.