venus moon tonight gives observers a short window on June 12, when Mercury, Venus and Jupiter will line up low above the western horizon after sunset. The best view starts 30 minutes after local sunset and lasts only about 30 to 45 minutes before Jupiter and Mercury drop below the horizon.
Venus will be the first to stand out while the sky is still bright. Mercury and Jupiter sit lower and slightly to the right of Venus, with Venus showing an 80% illuminated gibbous disk, Mercury a 50% illuminated half-moon phase, and Jupiter appearing as the larger disk.
June 12 western sky
The three planets form a brief parade after sunset, and June 12 is the day to catch it. Mercury has climbed out of the sun’s glare to join Venus and Jupiter, giving viewers a rare chance to compare how each world looks in the same patch of sky.
That comparison is part of what makes the event useful for photographers and casual observers alike. Venus and Jupiter had drifted apart slightly since their tight embrace on June 9, so the June 12 lineup is not a repeat of that earlier close pairing.
Mercury and Jupiter below Venus
The practical limit is time. The display begins low in the west, so observers need to be ready at sunset and keep looking soon after, because Jupiter and Mercury follow the sun down within the 30-to-45-minute viewing window.
For anyone trying to find the trio quickly, the reference point is Venus. Once it appears, Mercury and Jupiter can be found by dropping your eyes down and slightly to the right, where the two fainter planets sit before they disappear into the dusk.
June 9 to June 12
Venus and Jupiter were already in a tight embrace on June 9, but Mercury has now joined them after moving up from the sun’s glare. That makes June 12 the more complete lineup, with three worlds visible together in one short evening span.
The evening rewards anyone who times it well. Miss the first part of the window, and Jupiter and Mercury will be gone; catch it on time, and the western sky gives you all three planets at once.
