The crescent moon appears in our western sky tonight, just above the two planets Mars and Venus. The moon is in the zodiacal constellation Pisces. Through the coming weekend, the moon advances towards the zodiacal constellation Taurus.

Venus and Mars reside in the western sky just after sunset. Venus is the brighter of the two. Mars is right next to Venus, only a half degree away. Mars is considerably fainter and easy to miss.

If you miss the scene tonight, look tomorrow night. The moon will be higher, but the two planets will remain close together. In the nights that follow, the two planets will appear to separate. Mars is dropping, while Venus is appearing higher and higher in the west.

An easier planet to spot is Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, rising in the eastern sky after sunset. Jupiter is stunning and visible through most of the night. It rules the evening with its brilliance. Only the moon and Venus are brighter. Jupiter is overhead at around midnight.

For those who rise early in the morning, the ringed planet Saturn is in the southeastern sky before daybreak. It resides in the zodiacal constellation Scorpius. Saturn has a yellowish hue and appears above the bright red star Antares.