Extremely early risers will have a special treat this week, as the moon meets two planets in a patch of sky already studded with bright stars. The chart shows the view looking east from London at 04.00 (BST) on the morning of 28 August.
The planets will have climbed to a comfortable altitude by this time, but the dawn will not yet have begun to encroach on the darkness. The bright white beacon of Jupiter will be easy to spot, as will the waning crescent moon.
The moon will be almost 24 days through the lunar month, and as such will have 31.4% of its visible surface illuminated.
The dimmer red spot of Mars will be embedded in the constellation of Taurus, the bull, with its baleful red eye of Aldebaran. Forming a red triangle with these two celestial objects is Betelgeuse in Orion, the hunter.
Meanwhile, a little further northwards, the constellation of Gemini, the twins, will be easily identifiable because of its two brightest stars Castor and Pollux.
The conjunction will be easily visible from the southern hemisphere too. However, the bright stars of Gemini may not rise enough to be visible before they succumb to the dawn light.
