The month of February is full of celestial events, and there is still more to come. Skygazers will have the opportunity to view Mars, Venus and the moon in a celestial dance as they bunch together.
Venus, which is the second planet from the sun and named after the Roman Goddess of love and beauty, is the second brightest object in space visible from the Earth (just after the moon). The planet has been visible from the Earth nearly throughout this month.
As days pass by in February, Venus and Mars have been involved in a celestial dance, edging closer to each other. The closest pairing of the two planets will be visible in the dark skies of Feb. 21 and 22. The last closest pairing or conjunction of Mars and Venus was recorded on Sep. 11, 2008. Skygazers should take full advantage of the upcoming celestial event as it will be the closest pairing of the two planets until 2017.
However, another spectacle awaits skywatchers on Feb. 20, when the crescent moon, Mars and Venus will be seen close to each other in the night sky. The three celestial objects will create a triangle.
Even though Mars is visible as a bright star, it will still be faint. Astronomers suggest that people spot Venus near the crescent moon then they will be able to spot Mars as well.
The evening sky on Friday, Feb. 20, is expected to have a mix of clouds, which may make it difficult to see the celestial dance of Mars, Venus and the moon. However, if the western horizon is clear, it should offer a great viewing experience of the trio.
The heavenly bodies are expected to be visible to the naked eye but it will be handy to keep a decent pair of binoculars or telescope in case the weather acts up.
"This is one of the more impressive things you'll be able to see with the naked eye. It should look pretty neat with binoculars, too," said Patrick Young, an associate professor at Arizona State University's School of Earth and Space Exploration.
Young also pointed out that the close encounter of the celestial bodies will also make for great photographs because the colors of the sunset will also be visible when Venus, Mars and the moon align.
