The NOIRLab research center has published an unusual photo. It shows Venus and Mars in conjunction against the backdrop of the Praesepe star cluster.
In astronomy, a conjunction of celestial bodies refers to a situation where, in their apparent motion across the sky, their positions become close to each other. Of course, this is nothing more than an optical effect caused by the fact that we observe them from Earth. In reality, they are still separated by enormous distances.
This photo collage shows the double conjunction of Venus and Mars with the scattered Pleiades star cluster. It is located 600 light-years from Earth and is home to about 1,000 stars. Thanks to its proximity, under favorable viewing conditions, it can be seen in the night sky with the naked eye.
The first conjunction took place between late April and early May, when the apparent positions of the Praesepe cluster and Mars (upper part of the image) almost coincided. The second conjunction involving Venus (lower part of the image) was observed between late August and early September.
The image showing the double conjunction was composed of individual photographs taken from the summit of Cerro Pachón in Chile. It is home to a number of telescopes, including Gemini South and the Vera Rubin Observatory.
You can learn about the unusual celestial events that will occur in 2026 in our article.
According to NOIRLab
