The Moon and Venus Will Have a Close Encounter Tonight. Here's How to See It.

The month of our moon not abiding by best social distancing practices continues on the morning of October 13. Venus is going to have a close pass with the moon that morning. They'll also still be in close proximity the following morning, on October 14.

The two objects will be having a conjunction, where they share the same right ascension from our perspective, the evening of October 13, but Venus will not be in view from the US at that time, making both mornings a good time to spot the duo. Venus, which is currently only visible in the morning, and the moon will come within about four degrees of each other when they're at their closest, per In the Sky. 

The moon rises fairly early in the evening, but Venus won't appear until 3:56am EDT on October 13. (That will be about the same time wherever you're at in the US.) The morning star will be hanging out until the sun rises and forces Venus out of sight. You'll be able to see the moon and Venus near each other from around 4am until sunrise, which comes around 7am. So, you may need to get up a little early to spot the pair in the early morning sky. Though they'll be too widely separated to see simultaneously through a telescope, they'll be easily visible with the naked eye.

It should be quite a sight as the two brightest objects in the night sky come together. They're bright enough that you don't need to head to dark skies to see them. They're visible even in cities. Though, as is the case anytime you go stargazing, everything is more spectacular under darker skies. Under darker conditions, you may even spot Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion, hanging out just above the moon the morning of October 13.

This month, Venus remains brighter than Mars, even though Mars just passed as close as it will until the fall of 2035 and is reaching opposition the night of October 13. When you're out giving Venus a glance in the morning, look for brilliant red Mars and don't forget that researchers just discovered signs that there may be life lurking in the volatile atmosphere of Earth's sister planet. 

It's awfully early, but it's worth the chance to spot the beautifully bright orbs in such close proximity. 

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