Don't Miss the Moon and a Bright Red Star Shining Together This Weekend

This weekend brings us a brilliant display in the night sky. On the evening of August 3, just after sunset, the waxing crescent moon will appear directly beneath the red supergiant star Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, according to EarthSky.org.

To see the pair, look toward the southwest sky after sunset on Sunday, where you'll spot the moon with Antares positioned just above it. The two objects will be about four degrees apart. For context, your pinky finger held at arm's length accounts for roughly one degree in the night sky, while your index, middle, and ring fingers together measure around five degrees, according to NASA.

The cosmic duo will be easy to spot with the naked eye, but finding an unobstructed view of the sky with minimal light pollution offers you the best chances of seeing the spectacle. They will sink slowly toward the horizon over the course of a couple of hours.

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Antares gets its name, which means "rival to Mars," because of its red-orange tint. On Sunday, the star will look red, but since it’s low in the sky and its light will be distorted by Earth’s atmosphere, it could flash a variety of colors, such as yellow and white.

Observers in parts of Polynesia, New Zealand, South America, and Antarctica will also see the moon occult (or pass in front of) Antares, hiding the bright star, according to EarthSky.org.

As the moon orbits Earth each month, it regularly passes near Antares, so if you miss the pair this time, no worries, you'll have another chance the next go around.