Venus and Mars to be visible with moon in UK sky tonight

The summer solstice will take place today (Wednesday, June 21) marking the official start to the summer.

During the summer solstice, the sun is at its highest point in the sky in the Northern Hemisphere resulting in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. 

☀️🌞 The summer solstice occurs when one hemisphere is tilted closest to the Sun, receiving maximum daylight. In the Northern Hemisphere, it happens on June 21, 2023. Discover the science behind one of the most important celebrations in the world 👇https://t.co/muJNmm4SZH pic.twitter.com/03O8RMKIHj

— Star Walk (@StarWalk) June 20, 2023

When will Venus and Mars be close to the moon?

The moon will appear close to both Venus and Mars at different times in the next 24 hours. 

At around 12.47am, on June 22, the moon and Venus will be at their closest point - sharing "the same right ascension in the constellation Cancer" according to Star Walk.

Then, tomorrow morning (Thursday, June 22) at around 10.09am the moon will be close to Mars, meeting "in the constellation Leo".

The moon will appear in a crescent shape during both conjunctions.

In simple words, a conjunction happens when objects in the night sky appear to be very close together. But you're wrong if you think they're close together in space. In fact, they're thousands or billions of miles apart! Learn more: https://t.co/TBOu3EDwve pic.twitter.com/N6MgQJb5Qw

— Star Walk (@StarWalk) June 14, 2023

How to see Mars and Venus near the moon

The moon, Venus and Mars will all be visible in the UK sky with the naked eye.

Talking about the conjunction of the moon and Venus, stargazing app, Star Walk, said: "You can observe the conjunction with a pair of binoculars or the naked eye."

While the moon and Mars will be slightly more "faint" it will also be visible for people to see. 

Star Walk added: "Look for them in the evening, just after sunset."