# Is that the Moon and Jupiter right now? Or Venus? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 1, 2017, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718 "2017-02-01T01:05:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/1 "2017-02-01T01:05:18Z")
As per title. And is there another star or planet just above them? ---
**Author:** ![aktep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f0a364/32.png) [@aktep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aktep)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/2 "2017-02-01T01:11:56Z")
My sky map app shows the moon, Venus, and Mars practically right on top of eachother right now. ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/3 "2017-02-01T01:12:45Z")
I can’t see it in the GTA b/c of cloud, but there is a conjunction of Mars and Venus going on, and my star tracking app says they are both close to the moon right now. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/4 "2017-02-01T01:42:30Z")
I wondered if it was Mars - just a hint of red! Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/5 "2017-02-01T02:07:21Z")
[You’re not the only one here noticing.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=816066&highlight=Venus)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/6 "2017-02-01T02:23:06Z")
A couple of years ago there was a planetary/lunar conjunction of Venus and Mars and the waning crescent Moon–I just happened to look out my living room window and…[wow](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5Tf-Gu4Bhho/VOf5GYOQ8kI/AAAAAAAA4sg/bxtvnpdpGmA/s1600/conj.jpg)! ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/7 "2017-02-01T02:39:30Z")
Right now Venus is BY FAR the brightest thing in the sky other than the sun and moon. The brightest star is Sirius with a magnitude of -1.4 (note the negative sign). Venus is now at magnitude -4.7, and will be brightening to -4.8 around the middle of February. At -4.7, it is 21 times brighter than Sirius. By contrast, Mars is now at magnitude 1.1, so Venus is over 200 times brighter than Mars. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/8 "2017-02-01T03:07:39Z")
Jupiter is rising in the wee hours. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/9 "2017-02-01T05:30:51Z")
> [@aktep](#): > > My sky map app shows the moon, Venus, and Mars practically right on top of eachother right now. Oh, that Venus! Such a Whore! ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2017, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-that-the-moon-and-jupiter-right-now-or-venus/778718/10 "2017-02-01T15:20:01Z")
The answer is Venus. The answer is ALWAYS Venus. If it’s so bright you’re paying attention, it’s Venus. Lovely conjunction last night. Crescent moons are always best for such conjunctions. 🙂 (For what it is worth, Jupiter is much further “east” in the sky right now…)