Venus and the Moon Join Each Other in the Night Sky

Starting on Monday, December 26, the Moon and the planet Venus paired up in the night sky, and will remain in this position throughout the remainder of the week. This provides skywatchers with a great opportunity to observe both bodies at the same time.

Astronomers refer to such a pairing up as a conjunction. In the night sky, they were only about 7 degrees apart, and could both be seen shining brightly. On Monday, the two could also be seen at sunset, piercing through the warm, reddish sky with intense clarity.

For the remainder of the week, the Moon and Venus will set about 2 and a half hours after sunset, and are visible in this interval on the southwest horizon. Mercury can be told apart from bright star through the fact that it appears to be about 11 times more luminous than the brightest star, Sirius.

The next lunar-venusian conjunction will occur on January 25 and 26, Space reports.