TOLEDO, Ohio — Were you wondering what those two lights in the western sky were Wednesday night? You're not alone.
WTOL 11 received several messages asking about the lights. Considering recent national events, it's no wonder so many of our viewers have their eyes on the sky.
If you were concerned about the lights, fear not. And if you're just plain curious, here's your answer:
The two lights above the western horizon around 7 p.m. Wednesday night were Venus and Jupiter, two planets in the Solar System. The dimmer light on the left is Jupiter, the fifth planet from the sun. The brighter light is much closer: Venus, often called "Earth's twin" can be seen on the right. Venus is the second planet from the sun.
Below are photos of the two planets taken Wednesday by WTOL 11 Broadcast Director Tim Mannor.
Venus and Jupiter were not physically close together; in fact, the two planets are a whopping 400 million miles apart. Yet the "planets" have aligned in just the right way to make them appear close together from Earth.
This astronomical phenomenon is called a conjunction. Some have likened it to the two planets "kissing."
If you missed the cosmic smooch Wednesday night, you've got another chance: the planets will still be close together in the western skies (provided skies are clear) Thursday and Friday night after sunset and before 9 p.m. After that, they will begin to drift apart again.
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