Stargazers today (Nov. 13) might have noticed Jupiter and Venus appear to be on a collision course as the morning sun began its roasting of the pre-dawn sky. That’s because, from Earth’s vantage point, the two planets are lining up, despite being hundreds of millions of miles away from each other.
While such an event is not entirely uncommon, astronomer Mark Thompson told the BBC that it is rare for the two planetary bodies to appear this close in the sky. It typically happens once a year, usually in mid-November.
And if you missed it this morning, people across North America and Europe—if clouds don’t interfere—will get another chance tomorrow morning (Nov. 14) just after 5am US EST for eastern North America and just after 6am in the UK. Later this month another such planetary crossover will happen, between Saturn and Mercury. That will occur at dusk on Nov. 24 and 28.