Venus and Jupiter are prominent planets visible in the west after sunset throughout May 2026, and the two planets are getting closer together with each passing evening.
Venus is the brighter, shining at mag. –3.8 at the start of May and brightening slightly to –3.9 by the start of June.
It’s also the planet nearest to the Sun during May. Jupiter is bright too, shining at mag. –1.9 at the start of May, but dimming slightly to –1.7 by the start of June.
At this brightness, both should be easy targets in the evening twilight.
The pair will be at their closest during the Venus-Jupiter conjunction on 9 June 2026.
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Observing Venus and Jupiter throughout May 2026
The changing positions of Venus and Jupiter make May 2026 an especially exciting month to watch both planets.
As Jupiter slowly drifts ever closer towards the Sun throughout May, Venus appears to move in the opposite direction, pulling away.
With both planets travelling along the ecliptic, there’s inevitably a point at which they’ll meet.
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That closest approach occurs in early June, when there’s every chance that unsettled weather may interfere, so it’s well worth following and recording their slow convergence throughout May.
In addition, as the Moon zips along its orbit close to the ecliptic, it too will encounter both Venus and Jupiter, setting the stage for a stunning photo opportunity around 18–20 May.
The planets start the month nearly 40° apart: Venus lies north of Aldebaran, while Jupiter sits near Wasat, south of the twin stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini.
Jupiter’s movement against the background stars is slow, but Venus’s escape from the Sun is rapid, advancing more than a degree eastward each day towards Jupiter.
By 7 May, as the evening twilight continues to expand, the pair are 33° apart.
You’ll have to wait for Venus to sink fairly low to get a good view of both planets against reasonably dark skies.
By 14 May, the viewing situation won’t have changed much, but the separation will, now narrowing to 26°.
A thin 6%-lit waxing crescent Moon passes 3.6° away from Venus on 19 May, moving to sit between both planets as a 13%-lit crescent on the evening of 20 May.
On 21 May, the now 22%-lit lunar crescent will sit 5° from Jupiter.
By 31 May, the apparent separation between Jupiter and Venus will have narrowed to a little under 9°.
With the evening twilight attempting to take the shine off the view, both planets thankfully remain stubbornly visible, ready for their close pass on 9 June, when they will be just 1.6° apart.
If you observe or photograph Venus and Jupiter this month, share your observations and images with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com.
