This NASA illustration shows how close the moon and Venus will be on Nov. 7.
NASA video screenshot by Amanda Kooser/CNET
You don’t need a big showy celestial event like an eclipse to have a magical moment with the night sky. Sometimes, the subtler experiences are just as moving. Head out in the evening on Sunday, Nov. 7 to witness the scenic crescent moon posing with Venus nearby.
“Should be really pretty, so don’t miss it,” NASA said in its November skywatching update. The sliver of the moon will appear below and a little to the right of Venus.
While Sunday will see the moon and Venus at their snuggliest, you’ll have an extended window for some great planet-spotting opportunities. “From Nov. 6th through the 11th, watch the moon glide past Venus, Saturn, and Jupiter after sunset in the south/southwest,” NASA said.
Jupiter and Saturn will appear to move closer to Venus each night through early December.
This NASA sky chart for Nov. 7 shows where you can look for the moon and Venus, as well as Saturn and Jupiter, about 30 minutes after sunset.
NASA/JPL-Caltech
While you’re staring at Venus, take some time to think about humanity’s future spacecraft that will visit the inferno planet that’s been called Earth’s twin. NASA and the European Space Agency are developing a trio of missions to learn more about an inhospitable world that followed such a different path from our own.