Cold and Spellbinding: An Alignment of Planets in the Sunset Sky

Go out at sunset and look west.  Venus and Jupiter pop out of the twilight even before the sky fades completely black.  The two brilliant planets surrounded by evening blue is a beautiful sight.

If you go out at the same time tomorrow, the view improves, because Venus and Jupiter are converging.  In mid-February they are about 20 degrees apart.  By the end of the month, the angle narrows to only 10 degrees—so close that you can hide them together behind your outstretched palm.  Their combined beauty grows each night as the distance between them shrinks.

A special night to look is Saturday, Feb. 25^th, when the crescent Moon moves in to form a slender heavenly triangle with Venus, Jupiter and the Moon as vertices.

One night later, on Sunday, Feb. 26^th, it happens again .

This arrangement will be visible all around the world, from city and countryside alike.  The Moon, Venus and Jupiter are the brightest objects in the night sky; together they can shine through urban lights, fog, and even some clouds.
After hopping from Venus to Jupiter in late February, the Moon exits stage left, but the show is far from over.
In March, Venus and Jupiter continue their relentless convergence until, on March 12^th and 13^th, the duo lie only three degrees apart—a spectacular double beacon in the sunset sky.  Now you’ll be able to hide them together behind a pair of outstretched fingertips. 

Smart / I Phone Star Map App:
http://www.google.com/mobile/skymap/
http://www.star-map.fr/