Venus and Jupiter dazzle in our western sky

It is hard to miss brilliant Venus and bright Jupiter appearing as heavenly headlamps in the western sky just as darkness settles. How dramatic is the planetary pair? Their combined light casts a shadow onto a wall in a dark location. Try this around 7:30 p.m. EST (8:30 EDT) when they are still relatively far above the horizon.

Look over the next few nights as Venus rises higher and passes Jupiter. On Tuesday night, they are at their closest, after which Venus pulls away moving slightly higher each evening for a few weeks. Jupiter, on the other hand, drops closer to the horizon each evening.

Such is our view from Earth...