Sky gazers in for a double delight

Sky gazers are in for a double astro-treat this weekend as Mars, Saturn and a bright star can be easily viewed without optical aids from sunset to sunrise.

The cosmic show will begin on Friday when the moon snuggles up to Mars and both the celestial bodies would appear very close to each other from the Earth, Planetary Society of India director N. Raghunandan said.

The reddish planet can be seen with the naked eye in the eastern direction, he added.

Apart from this conjunction — when objects appear to be close together in the sky — astronomy enthusiasts can also witness Jupiter and Venus in the western skies.