ROANOKE, Va. – Stargazers Monday night will be treated to two planets that aren’t practicing social distancing. Mars and Venus will appear very close to one another when, in actuality, they’re still millions of miles apart.
NASA’s Glada Arney says that, from our point of view, they will look like they’re a finger’s width apart. Make sure to look above the western horizon shortly after sunset Monday evening.
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As an added bonus, the crescent moon will be above the pair and to the left. The distance between the two planets and the moon will increase as we go throughout the week.
Venus will appear much brighter than Mars, but not to a point where Mars will be dimmed out. If you have binoculars, EarthSky says you will be able to see the two planets in the same field of view!
In addition to the planetary conjunction of our sibling planets, make sure to look to the east-northeast sky around 10:15 Monday night. The International Space Station will fly well above the horizon for about six-to-seven minutes.