Planets set to be visible in sky from Ireland this week

Michael Bolton

After the spectacular pictures that emerged from the Northern Lights, people in Ireland could be set for more incredible images on Wednesday and Thursday night.

The planets Venus and Jupiter will outshine all the of the stars in the sky as they pass extremely close to one another on Wednesday and Thursday nights between sunset and 8pm.

Venus is 200million kilometres from earth, and Jupiter is nearly 900 million kilometres away from us.

David Moore, Editor and Founder of Astronomy Ireland Magazine, said he can't remember the planets being this close together in the sky.

"I can't remember ever seeing Jupiter and Venus this close in the evening sky and to have two brilliant objects so close together is bound to startle the general public as they look over in the West when the suns go down although ominous to the naked eye there is nothing to be concerned about as this is merely a light of sight the brighter of the two is the planet Venus which is actually four times closer than Jupiter, which is the dimmer of the pair.

"As you stand gazing at the celestial wonder think about how Jupiter, although dimmer, is actually a dozen times wider than Venus.

"Although the alignment is closest on Wednesday and Thursday nights with the pair roughly one moon diameter apart they will be a spectacular sight relatively close to each other for several days thereafter."