Saturday morning, if you are up early enough, you’ll find the bright planet Venus low in the southeastern sky, just before sunrise. Venus is now a morning planet.

Just think, only a few weeks ago, the brilliant planet hung close to the western sky at sunset. Venus was high in the western skies during the holidays. Venus was the Star of Bethlehem for most of autumn and well into winter.

Saturday morning, Venus is still a brilliant celestial favorite. It is just low in the southeast before sunrise. For those with a telescope, Venus looks big and has a crescent shape.

Venus is also close, only 26 million miles away and it doesn’t get much closer. The sun is 93 million miles away.

Mars, which remains unchanged, is still visible in the western sky after sunset. The dull red planet hovers over where the sun has set. The planet lacks the sparkle of a year ago and that is due to its significant distance, 204 million miles away. Mars doesn’t get that much farther away. Compare its distance today to what it was last May, when it was only 46 million miles away.