Venus and Mars align near the Sun on Orthodox Christmas
A rare astronomical event will coincide with Orthodox Christmas this week, as Venus and Mars simultaneously move unusually close to the Sun, reported.
From January 6 to 9, 2026, the two planets will approach the Sun in what astronomers describe as a conjunction — a configuration in which celestial bodies appear at a minimal angular distance from one another as seen from Earth. The peak of the event is expected on the night of January 6–7, aligning with Orthodox Christmas, News.Az reports, citing Kazinform News Agency.
According to the Solar Astronomy Laboratory of the Institute of Space Research, calculations show that on January 8 the angular distance between Venus, Mars and the Sun will drop to less than one degree. Such a close, simultaneous conjunction is extremely rare. Over the past 500 years, it has occurred only three times — in 1669, 1682 and June 1968.
Astronomers note that in the current millennium, a similar alignment is expected only four times: in 2026, 2267, 2324 and 2623. Even rarer is the coincidence of the event with a specific calendar date. Experts estimate that the probability of the conjunction falling exactly on January 7 may be as low as once in several thousand years.
Scientists stress that observation is possible only with strict safety precautions, as the planets appear very close to the Sun’s disk.
Similar news
