Venus, Jupiter and Regulus shining bright in the sky.

Brilliant Venus in west from dusk until mid-to-late evening. Venus – the brightest planet and third-brightest sky object overall (after the sun and moon) – reaches its greatest elongation in the western sky on June 6. That means it is at its farthest from the sun on our sky’s dome, for this evening apparition, during June 2015. Venus stays out for over three hours after sunset this month, as seen from around the world. What’s more, Venus gets closer to Jupiter all month, to stage a close conjunction on our sky’s dome by the month’s end.

Throughout June 2015, brilliant Venus beams like a lighthouse as darkness falls! At mid-northern latitudes, Venus stays out quite late, possibly after your bedtime. Be sure to catch the wonderful presence of the moon in Venus’ vicinity for several days, starting on June 18or June 19.

Venus – the brightest star-like object in all the heavens – dominates the western sky as darkness falls. However, you can’t miss another brilliant beauty – the planet Jupiter – above Venus in the evening sky.

Bright Jupiter from dusk until late evening. Jupiter and Venus will come closer and closer together on the sky’s dome throughout June, 2015. In late June and early July, Venus and Jupiter will stage their closest conjunction until August 27, 2016!

Once you see Jupiter at dusk or nightfall, you won’t mistake it for anything else – except, possibly, brighter Venus, which shines lower down than Jupiter in the west at evening twilight.

Jupiter shines more brilliantly than any star. It’s the second-brightest planet after Venus.

In early June 2015, Venus sets in the west at mid-to-late evening, leaving the king planet Jupiter to rule over the evening sky for an hour or two after Venus sets. In early June, at mid-northern latitudes, Jupiter sets in the west about 3.5 hours after sunset. By the end of June 2015, when the two planets are in conjunction, or nearly so, they’ll be setting at about the same time, about 2.5 hours after the sun.

Watch the moon as it swings in the vicinity of Venus and Jupiter for several days, starting onJune 18 or June 19.

NB: To see Regulus you will need to click on the second picture to see a larger version of the photograph on Flickr.