Venus and Mars
When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and face west. Venus is beaming
through the twilight, so bright that it is often mistaken for a landing plane.
Wait a while as the sky grows darker. Fainter Mars pops out right beside Venus.
Didier Van Hellemont photographed the pair at sunset on Feb. 17th over
Sint-Laureins, Belgium:
In only a few days, the two planets will be dramatically closer together. At
closest approach on Feb. 21st, they will be only 0.4
o apart, less
than the width of a full Moon. The night before closest approach might be best
of all: On Feb. 20th, the crescent Moon will pass right by the converging
planets. Mark both dates on your calendar, Feb. 20th and 21st, and watch the
western sky at sunset. It's a great way to end the day.
From SpaceWeather.com
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