Lunar occultation of Venus

Even casual observers cannot fail to notice dazzling Venus currently gracing the western horizon at dusk. Owing to a favourable set of circumstances, the brightest planet is visible long after sunset. How late can you see it set in the British Isles? For those north of the Arctic Circle, Venus is presently circumpolar and doesn’t set at all!

Currently the third brightest celestial object in the night sky of the British Isles after the Moon and Venus, Jupiter presents a cornucopia of phenomena for observers with medium to large telescopes tonight.

The start of July finds magnitude -2.3 Jupiter almost two months past opposition and highest in the southern sky around 30 minutes before sunset for observers in the British Isles. The solar system’s largest planet may be past its best, but there still plenty of Jovian events visible from the UK.