Early risers will be treated to a lovely lunar conjunction just east of Leo the Lion’s gleaming star, Regulus. Beaming in a red-orange hue, the planet Mars has been making its way steadily higher in our sky since May. It will continue its march to brightness throughout the rest of the year, glistening closest to Regulus, on Thurs., Nov. 26.

On the morning of Mon., Nov. 2, Mars will appear extremely close to the waning crescent moon. In some parts of the world, the Moon will cover Mars from view in what is termed an occultation. Although Pittsburgh’s view won’t include the occultation, we will see the largest planet in the solar system, Jupiter, to the left of Mars and the Moon, creating a beautiful trio. Jupiter is getting brighter as well, aiming for its greatest brightness in February 2027.

Welcome back to the morning sky, luminous planet Venus! The most brilliant of the planets rises low in the east-southeast pre-dawn starting Tues., Nov. 3 and will meet up with the crescent moon a few days later.

By the end of the week, Mon., Nov. 9, celebrate the birthday of renowned and beloved scientist, Carl Sagan. Part of Sagan’s legacy is Earth’s nickname, the Pale Blue Dot. Voyager I’s photograph of the Sun and planets revealed Earth as a dot in beam of sunlight. Dr. Sagan said, “That’s here. That’s home. That’s us.”