06/16/2026
✨ SUNSET TRIPLE-PLANETARY MOON CONJUNCTION TONIGHT AND THURS 🌗
🌅 If you look towards the sunset tonight and tomorrow (June 16–17), you'll see a very cool view, and it’s perfectly timed for 'civil twilight' 45 minutes to 1-hour after sunset. Grab your cameras and read on!
⚙️ TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT:
This is a visual conjunction along the ecliptic plane. Venus and Jupiter, the two brightest planets in our solar system from our view, will be the most prominent. Mercury—often the most elusive planet to spot since it closest to the Sun—will be visible just below the moon. While they look close to each other from our perspective, they are actually MILLIONS of miles apart. This alignment provides a unique 3D map of our solar system's plane, visible to the naked eye!
⏰ WHEN AND WHERE TO LOOK:
The best visibility is right at dusk (around 9:00 PM to 9:30 PM local time, roughly 30 to 45 minutes after sunset). Face due West-Northwest. You need an unobstructed view of the horizon (open field or an elevated view) to spot Mercury. The highest and overwhelmingly brightest white-point will be Venus. 30 minutes after sunset they will be over 10° high, and after 1 hour will still be 8° above the horizon. That’s your main window 🔭
🤳 HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH:
Set up early! Don’t procrastinate and lose the shot because the planets are already too low in the sky. Take test shots and adjust exposure until you’re happy.
If you’re using your phone, set it on a tripod. Select whatever focal length you want, but do not use too much digital zoom . Try to include interesting foreground, landscape, skyline etc. Once you have your framing, press and hold your finger on the screen to lock the exposure, and drag your exposure level until you get the desired lighting. Then shoot!
For phone video, pretty much the same idea, get your frame, lock the exposure, and change your camera settings to 4k at 60 frames per second. Give your framing space for the moon and planets to “set”, as they will move quickly as the Earth rotates. It will make a great Timelapse if you let it record for 15-30 minutes and you can pull photos out, because it is a higher quality 4K video.
📸 For dedicated cameras, use a tripod and wide-angle lens, 24-50mm should be fine. Use a remote shutter release cable, so you do not mistakenly shake the camera. Use the camera’s built-in timer if you have to.
Find your focus and shoot in Manual mode with a wider aperture (f/2.8 - f/4), ISO 800, and 2-10 second exposures. Experiment and adjust accordingly, as this is just a reference point - the light will change quickly! Adapt as needed by increasing ISO. If you keep shooting longer exposures or zoom in more, you’ll start causing trails in the moon and planets.
❓ASK VIEWING & PHOTOGRAPHY QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS!
We love sharing and so does our community. Ask and ye shall receive!
☄️THE "MERCURY CHALLENGE":
Mercury is famously difficult to spot because it is so small and close to the sun. From your city or town, try to actually see the 'innermost planet' tonight and June 17, and share with us all in the comments!
📆 ALIGNMENT WILL LOOK DIFFERENT JUNE 17:
As we all orbit the sun, this alignment will change each night. We will post the Jun 17 view in the comments.
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