Sky & Telescope points out that this current string of Venus-Jupiter conjunctions closely resembles a similar series between the years 3 and 2 B.C. It has been suggested that their joint appearance might have been what came to be known as the Star of Bethlehem.
This type of conjunction hasn't been seen in the night sky in some 2,000 years, with the night of June 30th being the first time in two millenia. The two can be seen in the western sky on the evening of June 30th. Both planets will appear to be the same size -- even though Jupiter is more than ten
times further away and also many times larger than Venus. The brightest planet will be Venus and Jupiter will be on top and be a bit dimmer in nature. If you can't see it tonight due to schedule or clouds,
you'll be able to witness the two planets close together on the evening
of July 1st.
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