Two of the Earth’s closest neighbors, Mars and Venus, will come together for Valentine’s Day in the nights ahead. The planets are both low in the southwestern sky and appear soon after sunset. They are within a few degrees of each other. They appear closest together on Saturday, Feb. 21. But Friday night and through the coming week, the show is ongoing.

Friday night you’ll see the brilliant Venus, so easy to see amid the glow of twilight. Take another look for a fainter celestial object nearby. It is the red planet Mars and it is barely visible.

In the nights ahead, the two get closer. On Saturday, Feb. 21, the two planets are only a half degree apart. Adding to the festivity, a thin crescent moon will appear nearby on that night.

Though the two appear close, Venus is 133 million miles away from us and getting closer. Mars is slipping away from us and is 202 million miles away. Yet for a week, these two planets appear so close they could share a hug. Add this fact. The only place the two appear so close together is from the vantage point of the Earth and our Moon.