Superior conjunction

Planetary conjunction very close between Jupiter and Venus.

The planets are said to be in superior conjunction, when the planet is behind the Sun (as seen from Earth); in the bottom the planet is in front of the Sun.

Explanation

When several planets are apparently in the same azimuth, they are said to be in conjunction. But if the Sun is involved, then it is called a solar conjunction. For the inner planets, which are those within the Earth's orbit, that is, Mercury and Venus, there are two conjunctions: the superior and the inferior.

An example: Mercury's superior solar conjunction means Earth, Sun, and Mercury are aligned. Mercury is in this case behind the Sun.