Jupiter, Venus and Aldebaran "get together"

Event Date: June 24th
Time: 5:30 AM

Brief

   Now that Venus and Jupiter are becoming more visible in the east-northeast sky before Sunrise, we will soon see other stars near them.  One of those, I mentioned about a week ago near Venus, has spent a binocular separation with the planet over the last week: Aldebaran, as the brightest star in Taurus the Bull.  Here they are zoomed-out, with Jupiter also shown.  As the giant planet is 5.5º from Venus and Aldebaran is 3.0º from Venus, the three fit in a 9º field.  While both Venus and Aldebaran start coming closer to each other, and Jupiter starts moving closer to both, the field will shrink to fit them all.

click on image to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

Detailed

    With Venus first passing Aldebaran in retrograde and soon to do so closer in pro-grade next month, the pair will be an impressive viewing with the eyes alone, and with optical aid,  Venus' motion in retrograde and pro-grade near Aldebaran makes the separation pattern between the two a little more confusing than it may appear.  That is, since it will reach stationary further from Aldebaran than it is now and then come much closer quickly as Aldebaran rises four minutes earlier each day, it gives us a chance to follow Venus' celestial path on a morning-by-morning basis.  I will not show the path yet; see if you can visualize it for every clear sky you see with Venus.  Hopefully there will be little or no overcast; even if so, Venus is bright enough too see through high, thin clouds.  Try to find it with binoculars if too cloudy to see easily with the eyes alone.  Keeping Aldebaran in mind with its altitude and the same time each morning, try drawing Venus' celestial path in mid-July, after it has another close encounter with the star.  Good luck and enjoy the challenge!