Starwatch: a close meeting between the moon and Mars

Gemini’s brightest stars, Castor and Pollux, will add their light to the aesthetic. Illustration: Guardian Graphics/The Guardian

The month begins with a well-situated meeting between the moon and Mars. The chart shows the view looking into the east-south-eastern sky from London at 2000 GMT on 9 February.

But you don’t have to wait this long, because the pair will be visible from sunset, rising from the eastern horizon. The meeting will take place in the constellation of Gemini, the twins.