Memorial Day Planet Parade: See Jupiter, Mercury & Venus

A trio of bright planets is shining together in the sunset sky, a must-see night sky sight for stargazers this Memorial Day weekend.

Three planets — Jupiter, Venus and Mercury — can be now be seen in the western sky at dusk, weather permitting, in a rare and beautiful gathering that changes from night to night. Astronomers call a meeting of objects in the night sky a conjunction, but this planet parade is better described as a "Grand Conjunction."

The brightest of the three planets is dazzling Venus, of course. Jupiter and fainter Mercury will also be very close by. All the action is taking place low in the west-northwest sky about 45 minutes to an hour after sunset where, over a span of a week, the three planets will seem to perform slow acrobatics; some might go so far as to call it a celestialpas de trios (French for a ballet of three), low in the evening sky. All three planets will be readily visible to the naked eye, but binoculars will certainly enhance the view.

Source:www.space.com