Did you notice two bright lights in the sky Wednesday night?
Did you notice two bright lights in the sky Wednesday night?
It was Jupiter and Venus — Just after sunset, the two planets appeared in the evening sky at their closest approach point.
Venus appeared as a bright pinpoint of white light, while Jupiter was slightly duller.
At their closest, the planets seemed to be about a moon's width apart before drifting away again.
With Earth and Mars orbiting the sun between them, Venus and Jupiter of course are not actually close together in space.
"They're actually over 750 million kilometres apart," said Paul Delaney, an emeritus professor of physics and astronomy at York University. "But from our perspective, as we on Earth look past where Venus is into the outer solar system, it's that apparent alignment that we're looking at between," he told CTVNews.ca.
With a pair of binoculars, you may have been able to spot some of Jupiter's larger moons.
— With files from CTVNews.ca writer Daniel Otis
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Labour minister unveils steps to end Canada Post strike
Canada Post workers began their strike four weeks ago, halting mail and package deliveries across the country. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said he hopes work will resume as early as next week.
Canada's homicide rate down in most provinces, with 2 exceptions
The homicide rate is declining in Canada, and the country’s three largest cities all saw double-digit percentage decreases in homicides per capita, according to data released this week.
'They believe in diplomacy, good luck': Doug Ford doubles down on energy threat as some premiers distance themselves
Doug Ford is standing behind his threat to stop providing the U.S. with electricity in response to president-elect Donald Trump’s promised tariffs, even as several other premiers publicly distance themselves from the stance.
'Little girl deserves justice': Gallery erupts in anger as charges stayed against driver who killed child
In a tense courtroom, a judge stayed the charge against a Saskatoon woman who hit and killed a nine-year-old girl.
Is a white Christmas in the cards? Looking back at Canada's Dec. 25 snow history
With fewer than two weeks remaining until Christmas Day, weather forecasts and snowfall projections are starting to take shape but have yet to be finalized for cities across Canada.
Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the upcoming fall economic statement on Monday will remove the cap that currently restricts Canadian pension funds from owning more than 30 per cent of the voting shares of a Canadian entity.
Drones, planes or UFOs? Americans abuzz over mysterious New Jersey sightings
It's unclear if it's drones or something else, but for sure the nighttime sightings are producing tons of talk, a raft of conspiracy theories and craned necks looking skyward.
Trump wants to turn the clock on daylight saving time
U.S. president-elect Donald Trump wants to turn the lights out on daylight saving time.
Vader case: What it's like to watch a parole hearing if you're the son of homicide victims
On the other side of the planet, Bret McCann, whose parents went missing and died in the 2010s, sat anxiously as the man convicted in their deaths pleaded for parole.