An astrophotographer has captured the rare astronomical sight of Mars and Jupiter in close night sky proximity. (Josh Dury via SWNS) By Talker

By Dean Murray via SWNS

An astrophotographer has captured the rare astronomical sight of Mars and Jupiter in close night sky proximity.

Josh Dury, 26, was able to document the so-called "conjunction" of the planets from a vantage point in Glastonbury at 2 am on Thursday (August 15).

The spectacle sees Jupiter as brighter in the sky than Mars.

Compton Martin-based Josh says: "Last night, a rare astronomical event took place. A ‘conjunction’ between Mars and Jupiter.

An astrophotographer has captured the rare astronomical sight of Mars and Jupiter in close night sky proximity. (Josh Dury via SWNS)

"It was taken as a single shot timed as the two planets slowly rose above the horizon.

"It was a close approach as the two planets appear ‘close’ to each other from our perspective in the solar system.

"This will not happen again until the year 2033."

A conjunction is a phenomenon caused by the observer's perspective: the two objects involved are not actually close to one another in space.

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