Although sky events worthy of observation occur year-around, summer tends to be the time when people are more likely to enjoy stargazing. The combination of favorable weather, vacation opportunities, popular phenomena like the Perseid meteor shower and an abundance of easy-to-find star patterns like those of Scorpius and the Summer Triangle, make this season a favorite of rookie and veteran stargazers alike.

In some years, rare or remarkable sights intensify interest in backyard astronomy during the summer months. This month skywatchers can enjoy a rare opportunity to see all five naked eye planets during evening twilight and spot a super rare close conjunction of Venus and Jupiter.

Three of the five planets involved in this month’s rare display are familiar to anyone who has observed the evening sky for the past several months — Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Throughout June and July, brilliant Jupiter has been the dominant “star” in the western sky. Earth’s relentless motion has gradually caused it appear closer and closer to the horizon. At the same time, a conspicuous, slowly morphing triangle composed of Mars, Saturn and the Scorpius’ brightest star, Antares, have competed for attention in the southern sky.

Late last month, Mercury and Venus emerged from the glare of the sun into the early evening sky. Both have remained close to the horizon, so close that sightings have only been possible 30 minutes after sunset from observing sites that offer views unimpeded by trees, buildings or hilly terrain.

The waxing crescent moon passed Venus, Mercury and Jupiter (in that order) on Aug. 4 and 5. The moon’s rendezvous with Mars and Saturn took place one week later. Although the moon will not pass these planets again until early next month, the five planet spread in the western and southern sky will persist. Keep an eye on them during the remaining days of August to discover the dramatic changes in the positions of the planets from night-to-night.

The moon was full on Aug. 17, appearing approximately 90 degrees to the left (east) of Mars, Saturn and Antares. On Aug. 23 and 24, the triangle formed by Saturn, Mars and Antares will have dissolved. The trio will appear in a nearly straight line roughly 20 degrees above the south-southwestern horizon, with Mars perched between Saturn and Antares. But the best is yet to come.

Venus and Jupiter, like Mars and Saturn, will also change position, as speedier Venus catches up to Jupiter. On the evening of Saturday, Aug. 27, these two planets will appear incredibly close. The gap between them will have shrunk to a minuscule four minutes of arc (one-eighth the apparent diameter of the full moon). The two planets will still appear as two distinct objects, but a gap this tiny is incredibly small.

We will not see these two planets this close until the evening of Feb. 17, 2080! (Venus and Jupiter will actually be 0.00 degrees apart on Nov. 22, 2065 when Venus passes directly in front of Jupiter — an event that hasn’t happened since 1818. Unfortunately no one on Earth will see this very rare “occultation.” The two planets will be 7.3 degrees from the sun — much to close for observation.)

To see the planets on Aug. 27, it will be essential to observe within minutes of 8:30 pm (half an hour after sunset). It will also be necessary that the observing site chosen has no obstructions along the western horizon (hills, trees, buildings). Examples of good places are airports and the shores of lakes where the distant horizon is very close to perfectly flat.

Venus and Jupiter will be due west, a mere 3 degrees above the horizon then. Binoculars will make locating and seeing the incredibly close Venus-Jupiter pair much easier.

The gap between Venus and Jupiter will be changing by 1 degree per day in late August. Thus, on Aug. 26 the two planets will not appear 1 degree apart. The same separation will apply on Aug. 28.

So the real show only happens on Aug. 27. Don’t miss this sight — the next opportunity to see Venus and Jupiter this close will be 64 years from now!