Both Venus and Saturn will be in the Aquarius constellation, the water bearer, during their close approach. To help spot it, viewers should look towards the south in the evening sky, using the bright star Fomalhaut in the nearby Piscis Austrinus constellation as a guide to locate Aquarius.

Venus and Saturn will be in conjunction this weekend, appearing side by side in the night sky during January's post-sunset "planet parade."

Scientists think it's possible that life cells from Earth could've been transferred to Venus, thanks to asteroid impacts over the last few billion years.

Venus is the planet of love, beauty and pleasure — it governs everything from our finances and relationship dynamics to our values and desires. In Pisces, the love planet immerses itself in the ideal fantasy, encouraging us to dream big when it comes to our desires. This, however, could be our detriment if we lose sight of reality.

Venus and Earth, although they've taken two dramatically different climatic roads, are considered sibling planets. They're about the same size. They're made out of the same rocky stuff. They both dwell in the inner part of the solar system. So what happened?

I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere).

Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars will appear to line up and be bright enough to see with the naked eye in the first few hours after dark. This weekend, Venus and Saturn get especially cozy.

New observational data from the James Webb Space Telescope and simulation models have confirmed a new type of planet unlike anything found in the solar system. This provides another piece of the puzzle describing how planets and planetary systems form.

Venus is particularly bright in the night sky this month, outshining even Sirius, the brightest star. For observers at mid-northern latitudes, the planet remains visible for about four hours after sunset throughout January, making it an excellent time to observe Earth's " evil twin ," as showcased in the stunning photos below.

Your heart wants one thing, but your logical mind is pulling you in a completely different direction On Jan. 14, harmony-seeking Venus will clash with larger-than-life Jupiter, sparking confusion that could have you questioning everything from your love ...

Plus: Saturn’s moon Iapetus is visible, our Moon passes the bright star Spica, and Mars skims south of Pollux in Gemini in the sky this week.

To kick off the beginning of the weekend, catch Venus and Saturn meeting as a conjunction on the night of Jan. 17. A telescope is not required to view this astronomy event.