Mercury and Venus can be seen low in the western sky this evening. Make sure you have a clear view of the western horizon at around 9 PM tonight. Venus and Mercury will appear close together (Venus is brighter and to the right, Mercury is fainter to the left). Venus is larger and closer to Earth, and its cloudy surface reflects lots of sunlight. Venus can be the brightest night sky object except the full moon. Mercury is small, farther from Earth, and not very reflective so it doesn’t shine very bright in our sky. Tonight, a crescent moon is visible nearby. Watch over the next few days, and you will see the moon move higher in the sky. Our pair of planets sit near a famous pair of stars. Pollux and Castor are the two main stars in the constellation Gemini the Twins.
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