Early next week the thin crescent moon takes a walk past the brilliant planet Venus, and then later in the week, Saturn. Venus is low in the southwestern sky. Your first chance to see the moon together with Venus is Monday night. If the weather is favorable, you’ll see the two really close amid the light of twilight. The viewing is only for a short time, before they both set in the west.

The scene on Monday night is the prettiest picture. The two are close and the crescent moon appears just above Venus. On Tuesday evening, the moon has stepped away, though Venus hasn’t moved an inch from its place.

On Wednesday evening there is more to see. The moon moves up near the bright planet Saturn. Both are in the vicinity of the zodiacal constellation Scorpius. Saturn appears below, but nowhere near as close as the moon and Venus on Monday.

Take your time looking Wednesday night. While Saturn is just below the moon, there are other celestial objects fairly close. The bright red star Antares is under Saturn. Farther to the east and not far, the bright planet Mars is in the zodiacal constellation Sagittarius.