You may have noticed the Moon shining up in the skies extra bright this week as it aligned in formation with planets Jupiter and Venus. Skywatchers were delighted as they gazed up at the night sky, however if you missed it, you’ll get another chance to see it tonight.
As of February 20, the gap between them had closed to just 10 degrees and by the end of the month, they will be just two degrees apart.
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Conjunctions between Venus and Jupiter are not rare as they align every 13 months or so, according to Belgian meteorologist Jean Meeus.
However, the conjunction being accompanied by a crescent Moon is less common and this creates the scenic sky people have been snapping pictures of around the world.
Stargazers across the world were in awe as Wednesday’s (February 22) night sky put on a stunning show as the Moon, Venus and Jupiter formed a triangle-shape.
This was then repeated on Thursday night and the people of Greater Manchester went online to share the view of the sky from their homes.
One Twitter user, @SalCityBiggie, shared images taken by his friends in Irlam, Manchester.
Did you see the formation light up the skies this week? Let us know in the comments below.
If you missed out on watching the night sky this week, those in Greater Manchester can catch the rare celestial event today.
The alignment is best caught in the early evening as Astronomy website EarthSky says that Venus, the brightest planet, climbs higher in the west after sunset each night and that it’s moving closer to the second brightest planet, Jupiter, which descends towards the sunset.
EarthSky says: "By February’s end, they’ll be super noticeable … ready to dazzle you! Their conjunction will come in early March."
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