Attention Stargazers: Venus, Jupiter and the Moon Will Align for Dazzling Weekend Show

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Enrique Marcarian / Reuters

A crescent moon and the planets Jupiter (bottom) and Venus are seen in the sky over Buenos Aires December 1, 2008.

If you find yourself looking up at the night sky this weekend, you’ll be in for a celestial surprise.

On Saturday and again on Sunday, Venus, Jupiter and Earth’s moon will converge, producing a brilliant light show, the Associated Press reports. Jupiter and Venus have been gradually aligning in the western sky, and this weekend, a crescent moon will join them, converging in a display visible at twilight. On Saturday, the moon will appear closer to Venus, and on Sunday, closer to Jupiter.

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To catch the show, you won’t need a telescope — you’ll just need a clear view of the western horizon. If you observe both nights, you’ll have the rare opportunity to view just how much the moon moves because the planets will light its path, MSNBC reports. If you look to the upper-left of the crescent, you’ll notice the rest of the moon, lit up from Earth’s light. If you do have binoculars or a telescope, you’ll even see craters and seas on the “dark side” of the moon.

Once the moon retreats from view, Jupiter and Venus will continue growing closer. The gap will narrow to 10 degrees by the end of February until they pass each other in mid-March. Stargazers hoping for a good view of the weekend display should look skyward a little after 6 p.m. And the best part is, if you miss the show on Saturday, you can still catch it on Sunday.

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