Mars between moon and Venus on January 23

Tonight – January 23, 2014 – watch the sky as soon as it grows dark. Look in the sunset direction for two planets, Venus and Mars, near the waxing crescent moon. The above sky scene is for North American mid-northern latitudes. Farther east on the globe – Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand – the waxing crescent moon is found closer to the red planet Mars. Look westward as soon as darkness falls, because Venus will follow the sun beneath the horizon at early evening.

No matter where you reside worldwide, you shouldn’t have too much difficulty knowing which world is Venus and which is Mars. Venus beams as the brightest starlike object in the evening sky, while modestly-bright Mars is higher up and closer to the moon.

Nearly month from now – on February 21, 2015 – the moon will have traveled full circle relative to the planet Mars. And in the great race of the planets, Venus will have caught up with Mars on our sky’s dome on this same date. This February 21 conjunction of Venus and Mars will be their closest until October 5, 2017.

Venus, second planet outward from the sun, is called an inferior planet because it orbits the sun inside of Earth’s orbit. Mars, the fourth planet outward, is called an superior planet because it orbits the sun outside of Earth’s orbit.

Because Venus is an inferior planet and Mars a superior planet, people often ask how it’s possible for Venus and Mars to align in Earth’s sky. Look at the diagram below of the inner solar system for February 21, 2015. If, indeed, an illustration can be worth a thousand words, it may help to answer the perplexing question.

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Inner solar system on February 21, 2015

A sumilated view of the inner planets from the north side of the solar system plane. As seen from Earth, Venus and Mars are closely aligned on the same line of sight. Image credit: Solar System Live

Bottom line: On the evening of January 23, 2015 – as darkness falls – the planet Mars is found between the moon and Venus.

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