Set your alarm early: You won't want to miss the Venus-Jupiter conjunction

Sunday, August 17, 2014, 11:58 AM - Whether you're an early riser or not, it'll be worth it to crawl out of bed a little before dawn on Monday morning.

That's when it'll be the best time to feast your eyes on a rare phenomenon: The conjunction of Jupiter and Venus, the two brightest planets in our night sky.

The celestial get-together actually began August 15, when NASA says the two planets were only two degrees apart in the night sky. But by tomorrow morning, they'll be so close, you'll be able to "hide them behind the tip of your outstretched pinky," according to the space agency.

You won't need to trek into the wilderness with pricey gear to get a good shot either. They're so bright, they're visible even in large cities.

Venus, NASA says, will be the brightest one. Even though Jupiter is enormous by comparison to both Earth and our Venusian neighbour, the second planet from the sun is closer, so the reflected light will make it seem six times brighter.

They'll appear just before dawn on Monday, in the east-northeast near the horizon.

They'll still be near each other on Tuesday to Thursday morning, but Monday is the closest they'll get, although NASA says the planets will form a "wide but beautiful" triangle with the crescent moon of August 23.

DON'T MISS: Well, it's not very scientific, but check out the "UFO" spotted over Texas in the video below.