Skywatching on April 30: Venus and Jupiter will look like they are about to collide

• A rare space phenomenon is set to happen this week as Venus and Jupiter will appear to collide.
• Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn will align and be visible in a diagonal line.
• The phenomenon will be visible in the sky before dawn.

Space lovers and skywatchers are in for a treat as four planets in our solar system – Venus, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn will be visible in a diagonal line, giving us a beautiful view of the aligned planets.

The alignment will be visible for the next few days and you will be able to see the four planets in a diagonal line in the east-southeast sky before dawn. That’s not all, you will also get to see a rare phenomenon wherein Venus and Jupiter will appear to collide during the early hours of April 30, 2022.

Venus and Jupiter will look like they are about to collide and merge to form a single planet. According to NASA, “Due to the glare from both planets, observers will see them merge into one very bright, spectacular glow.”

There’s no need to worry as the planets are actually quite far and this proximity is merely an illusion. The reason for this illusion is happening only because Earth, Venus and Jupiter will be approximately aligned. In reality, the planets are 690 million kilometers apart.

While the alignment will be visible with the naked eye, those with a telescope will be able to see it more distinctly. After April 30, the illusion will be visible again during the early hours of May 1, however, the position of the planets will be reversed.

There’s more in store for skywatchers this year as Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus will be aligned on Jun June 24, 2022. The rare alignment will be partially visible to the naked eye and a telescope will allow you to view the alignment completely.

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