• Shortly after sunset on May 13, 2013 a picturesque array of worlds will appear in the western sky. The three bodies are the moon, Jupiter and Venus and all are very bright. As darkness falls, look west for the moon with Jupiter below it, and Venus below Jupiter. To catch Venus, you have look near the sunset point on the horizon no later than about 35 to 55 minutes after sunset. Why? Because Ve

nus has just returned from being behind the sun, and it soon follows the sun below the western horizon.
• By the way, we highlight the ecliptic on the sky chart at the top of this post. It's a projection of the Earth's orbital plane onto the backdrop stars. Because the planets revolve around the sun on nearly the same plane that Earth does, practiced stargazers know to look for the planets on or near the ecliptic.
• Jupiter and Venus shine about 15o apart on the evening of May 13. For reference, your fist at an arm length spans about 10o, and the diameter of the moon equals about one-half degree. Between now and late May 2013, Jupiter and Venus - the sky's two brightest planets - will be edging closer and closer to one another. As the sun sets each evening, you'll find Venus farther away the sunset glare, and Jupiter closer to it. The two worlds will meet on May 28, at which time they'll be about one degree apart. The Venus-Jupiter conjunction on May 28, 2013, will be their last until August 18, 2014.
• Starting on or near May 23, Jupiter and Venus will be about 5o apart. That means the solar system's two brightest planets will fit - or nearly fit - within the same binocular field of view. They'll be close enough together to occupy one binocular field from about May 23 till early June.
• But wait, there's more! Mercury will have a conjunction with Venus on May 25, and a conjunction with Jupiter on May 27. Look for all three worlds - Mercury, Venus and Jupiter - to cozy up together in a single binocular field for about a week, centered on or near May 26.
• Bottom line: Jupiter and Venus line up with the moon in the west after sunset on May 13, 2013. Watch as Venus, the sky's brightest planet, and Jupiter, the second-brightest, approach each other daily. Their grand evening conjunction will take place on May 28, 2013.
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