Starlight Explorers

International Space Station will be visible from Bangalore today evening. It will appear as a star rising in North-West at 19:04, move across the sky with its brightness increasing as it reaches almost overhead at 19:07 and setting in South-East at 19:10.

Data courtesy : Heavens-Above

For eight nights beginning June 27th, these two bright planets will be within 2° of each other — close enough to cover both with the thumb of an outstretched hand.

Sky & Telescope senior editor Alan MacRobert points out, a spectacular conjunction like this often gets people started in our wonderful pastime. "These planetary groupings in the sky have no effect on Earth or human affairs — except for one," he says. "They can lift our attention away from our own little world into the enormous things beyond. That's what amateur astronomers do all the time."

Venus and Jupiter: A Dazzling Duo The two brightest planets are gliding closer together in the early evening sky, and their celestial dance culminates with an ultra-close pairing on June 30th.