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Early morning sky tango
By dtewes in Sky Watch
May 26, 2009

If you’re not an early riser, you’re missing the slow-motion planetary tango going on before sunrise.

While the show began in early May, there’s still plenty of time to catch it because it runs through early July.

Venus and Mars started out about five degrees apart, according to www.space.com. Your fist on an outstretched arm covers roughly a 10-degree span.

The planets reached a separation of seven degrees May 16 and are slowly coming back together. From June 2 through July 4 they will be about five degrees apart.

Venus will be the brightest of the two. In fact, it will be about 160 times brighter than Mars.

But both are visible without a telescope or binoculars, rising in the east about 90 minutes before sunrise.