Updated Feb. 17 at 9:30 p.m. EST:
From a press release by Sky & Telescope Magazine:
"When it comes to "eyeball astronomy," nothing is more satisfying than to see a pair of celestial objects appear close together in the sky, what astronomers call a conjunction. And 2015, notes Sky & Telescope's longtime contributing editor Fred Schaaf, truly deserves to be called the "Year of the Conjunctions." In January we watched Venus and Mercury come together in the evening twilight, and now comes a similarly close pairing of Venus and Mars. On Saturday they'll appear 1/2° apart for viewers in North America. That's about the width of a pencil held at arm's length.
"Venus and Mars have been edging closer together all month. Venus blazes in the southwest during late dusk; it's been climbing a little higher week by week. Mars, meanwhile, has lingered in roughly the same part of the twilight sky for several months, refusing to depart. Last week Mars was about 8° above Venus, but from February 17th through 26th, the two remain within 2° of each other. They're less than 1° apart (about your little finder's width at arm's length) from the 20th through the 23rd.
"Mars is only about 1% as bright as Venus just now. Since the pairing on the 21st is so close, Schaaf cautions, "little Mars might be hard to see in Venus's glare without optical aid." In other words, grab binoculars or a telescope to enhance your viewing experience."
