Starwatch: Mercury and Venus return for a twilight show

This week there is a beautiful sight waiting for stargazers. The sun is setting and the planets Mercury and Venus are in the sky.

The view from London to the south-west is shown in the chart. A clear horizon is needed to see the planets for three-quarters of an hour after sunset.

If you want to keep an eye on the sky at night, you need to start at sundown. Venus will be the better of the two. There are only two other stars visible in that patch of sky. There's no guarantee that you'll see the waning crescent moon.

It will be more convenient to see the planets from the south. Look south-west after sunset. The moon will be to the left of Venus at the same altitude. Venus will remain in the evening sky until July 23, 2023, when she will be the evening star.