Venus Will Shine Like a Bright Christmas Star in Tonight's Sky—Here's How to See It

From full moons to meteor showers, there have been numerous celestial events to enjoy this year—but the show isn't over yet. On Wednesday, December 4, stargazers are in for a treat as the two brightest objects in the sky, Venus and the moon, will appear close together, according to Space.com.

About 45 minutes after the sun sets on Wednesday, you'll see the waxing crescent moon and about three degrees above it will be the planet Venus. The pair will be visible for almost three hours after sunset, offering a great view once the sun has set or the sky is fully dark.

Venus is the second planet in orbit and the sixth largest planet. It's often referred to as "Earth's twin" because it's similar in size and structure to our planet, but Venus has extreme surface heart, according to NASA. When looking at the sky, Venus is always east before sunrise and west after sunset.

While Venus and the crescent moon will be closest on December 4, they will still catch your eye on the evenings of December 5 and 6, per EarthSky. Throughout December, Venus will move higher and higher in the night sky, setting several hours after the sun.

Because of how bright Venus will appear, some are referring to it as this year's Christmas Star, or the Star of Bethlehem. According to the Farmers' Almanac, there have been several celestial events that have been referred to as the Christmas Star. In 2020, Jupiter and Saturn were so close together they looked like one beautiful star, appearing just days before Christmas.