Venus and Jupiter's beautiful close encounter captured by photographers from around the world
Venus and Jupiter's beautiful close encounter captured by photographers from around the world
Images of the Venus–Jupiter close conjunction in June 2026, which culminated in the closest approach on 9 June.
Get monthly inspiration to your door with BBC Sky At Night Magazine - subscribe todayVenus and Jupiter reflected on the sea, captured by Giovanni Passalacqua from Punta Secca, Sicily, Italy, 8 June 2026, 21:55 local time.
Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 35mm lens, Manfrotto tripod
Exposure: ISO 2000, f/2.2, 3s
Software: Photoshop
Venus and Jupiter's close approach on 9 June 2026 was one of the major talking points among stargazers and astrophotographers throughout spring and early summer.
Once Venus emerged into the morning sky around April 2026, the two planets moved closer together with each passing evening, culminating in the closest approach on 9 June.
Of course, the two planets weren't really close together, but just appeared that way, as seen from Earth.
Star chart showing the positions of Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and the Moon, 8–10 June 2026. Credit: Pete Lawrence
If you missed seeing the close encounter of Venus and Jupiter on 9 June, the two planets will still be visible for much of the month, but are now moving away from one another.
What's more, Jupiter will soon be lost in the evening glare. So if you haven't seen the planets yet, get out on your first available night and spot them in the west.
A particularly good opportunity will arise on 16–18 June, when the crescent Moon will join Mercury, Venus and Jupiter in the evening sky.
Meanwhile, here are some of the best images of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury captured on 9 June 2026, and in the evenings leading up to the close conjunction.
Chirag Upreti captured this image of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury over the New York City skyline, 3 June 2026 at 20:05 local time. Equipment: Sony A7R3 camera, Sony 24-70mm lens at 56mm. Exposure: Single, ISO 250, f/8, 0.8s shutter speedTeresa Molinaro captured this view of Venus, Jupiter and Mercury from Sicily, Italy on 5 June 2026 at 21:16 local time. Venus and Jupiter are the two bright 'stars' above the silhouetted figure, while Mercury is a small dot above the city lights. Equipment: Fujifilm X-T30 II camera, Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R LM OIS lens, K&F Concept tripod. Exposure: one shot, ISO 500, f/4, 0.33sVenus, Jupiter, Mercury and Gemini are visible in this beautiful image captured Roberto Ortu from Cabras, Sardinia, Italy, 6 June 2026, 22:03 local time. Equipment: Canon EOS R100 DSLR camera, RF-S 18-45mm lens. Exposure: ISO 3200, f/6.3, focal length 45mm, 4s. Software: Digital Photo ProfessionalGiovanni Passalacqua sent us this image of Venus and Jupiter side by side in the evening sky from Ragusa, Sicily, Italy, 7 June 2026 at 21:21 local time. Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 35mm lens. Exposure: ISO 1250, f/4.5, 3.9s. Software: PhotoshopPaolo Barrella has captured a composite image showing Venus and Jupiter side-by-side, setting on the western horizon just after sunset, 7 June 2026. The image was created by stacking 53 shots taken at 2-minute intervals from 21:51 till 23:35, local time. Equipment: Canon EOS R8 DSLR camera, Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM lens. Exposure: 50mm, individual shots captured f/11 with 1/6s exposureSonali Deshmukh captured this view of Venus and Jupiter from Omaha, Nebraska, USA on 7 June 2026. Equipment: Canon EOS R6 DSLR cameraGiovanni Passalacqua captured this view of Venus and Jupiter from Punta Secca, Sicily, Italy, 8 June 2026 at 21:33 local time. Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 35mm lens, Manfrotto tripod. Exposure: ISO 1000, f/2.2, 2.8s. Software: PhotoshopVenus and Jupiter captured by Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project, Manciano, Italy, 8 June 2026Roberto Ortu for sent us this image of Venus and Jupiter, just hours away from the close conjunction, captured from Marina di Torre Grande, Sardinia, Italy, 8 June 2026, 22:08 local time. Equipment: Canon EOS R100 DSLR camera, RF-S 18–45mm lens. Exposure: ISO 1600, f/5.6, 4sVenus and Jupiter over Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy, captured by Rosario CataniaVenus and Jupiter reflected on the sea, captured by Giovanni Passalacqua from Punta Secca, Sicily, Italy, 8 June 2026, 21:55 local time. Equipment: Canon EOS R DSLR camera, Sigma 35mm lens, Manfrotto tripod. Exposure: ISO 2000, f/2.2, 3s. Software: PhotoshopThis is a fantastic composite image showing 30 days of Venus and Jupiter closing in on one another in the evening sky, captured by Soumyadeep Mukherjee, Kolkata, India. Equipment: Nikon Z6II camera, Sigma 50mm f/1.4 lens. Exposure: ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/30s - 5sEmma Guest captured this view of Venus and Jupiter from Peterborough, UK on 9 June 2026 at 22:40 local time. Equipment: iPhoneJoão Miguel Santo captured this artistic image of Venus and Jupiter from Chão das Pias Viewpoint (Miradouro do Chão das Pias), Porto de Mós, Portugal, 9 June 2026. Equipment: Canos R6 MKII DSLR camera, RF 24-105 F4 lens. Exposure: ISO 320, 24mm f/5.6, 1s. Software: Adobe LightroomPaolo Palma captured this image of the Venus–Jupiter conjunction against the backdrop of the Quadriga of Unity at the Altar of the Fatherland in Rome, Italy, 9 June 2026. Equipment: Nikon coolpix p510Thanks to James M for sending us this image of Venus and Jupiter close together in the western sky, captured from Ryetop Playing Fields, Rainham, Kent, UK, 9 June 2026, 22:25 local time. Equipment: Nikon D80 camera, 50mm lens. Exposure: ISO 500, f/3.2, 1/13 sec. Software: PhotoshopA beautiful view of the Venus–Jupiter conjunction over the Tree of Life, Bahrain, captured by Premjith Narayanan, 9 June 2026. Equipment: Canon EOS R3 DSLR camera, RF24-70mm f/2.8 lens. Exposure: ISO 125, f/4, 0.8s. Software: Photoshop
Have you captured an image of the night sky? Send us your images and they could appear in a future issue of BBC Sky at Night Magazine
Iain Todd is BBC Sky at Night Magazine's Content Editor who has been writing about astronomy and space science for over a decade. He has covered major stargazing events, space launches and the latest news in cosmology, astrophysics, planetary and space science.
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