See Venus and the crescent moon pair off in the night sky this weekend
Summer is a great time to catch up on some stargazing.
The nights are warm, and in most parts of the world, there's usually something to see after the sun goes down. This weekend is no exception.
On Sunday, Venus and the crescent moon will meet in the night sky not long after sunset, creating a beautiful sight for anyone with nice weather and a clear view.
"You won't want to miss this," Diana Hannikainen, observing editor of Sky & Telescope magazine, said in a statement. "These are the two brightest objects in the nighttime sky."
About 30 minutes after sunset, people on the East Coast of the United States will see Venus looking like an extremely bright star positioned not far from the bottom point of the crescent moon.
The planet and the moon will only be about 0.5 degrees away from each other in the sky when seen from the West Coast. People in the eastern United States will see the objects positioned just two degrees from each other, according to Sky & Telescope.
For reference, your closed fist held at arm's length against the sky covers about 10 degrees of space.
It's a boon for city watchers: This isn't one of those space events you can only enjoy from a far-off rural area with little light pollution. Because the moon and Venus are so bright, people in urban locales will also get the chance to take part in this night sky event. These are the two brightest objects out there, so even in the heart of a light-polluted city, you should be able to see them, assuming clouds don't get in your way.
While you'll be able to enjoy the cosmic sight with you naked eye, it might help to take a look through some binoculars or even a telescope for closer range.
If you get lucky, you might also be able to catch sight of Mercury — much lower and to the right, not far above the horizon — this weekend as well. For help spotting the planet, download an app like Star Walk, which points out specific objects in the night sky based on your location.
Miriam Kramer worked as a staff writer for Space.com for about 2.5 years before joining Mashable to cover all things outer space. She took a ride in weightlessness on a zero-gravity flight and watched rockets launch to space from places around the United States. Miriam received her Master's degree in science, health and environmental reporting from New York University in 2012, and she originally hails from Knoxville, Tennessee. Follow Miriam on Twitter at @mirikramer.
