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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through February 6, 2020. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.

The two planets that are closer to the sun than the Earth, Mercury and Venus, are both visible during evening twilight.

Venus is the brilliant object that is obvious in the southwest sky, even shortly before sunset. Between January 30 and February 6, the setting time of Venus gradually becomes later, from 6:32 to 6:44 p.m.

Mercury can be seen for a short time, beginning at about 6:00 p.m. Mercury will then be located above the west-southwest horizon by an angle that increases through February 6th, from 5 degrees to 10 degrees up. Binoculars may help you to find Mercury against the glow of twilight.

The phase of the moon waxes from crescent to first quarter on February 1st. On the following nights through the 6th it is gibbous. The moon is close to the bright orange star Aldebaran in Taurus the Bull on February 3rd.

At 6:00 a.m., the bright planet that gleams low in the southeast is Jupiter. The brightest object to the upper right of Jupiter is the orange star Antares, in Scorpius the Scorpion. A slightly fainter object, also orange and located between Antares and Jupiter, is the planet Mars.

Another planet comes into view before sunrise later in the week. If you connect an imaginary line between Antares and Jupiter and extend it nearly to the east-southeast horizon, you may see the planet Saturn starting on February 3rd. Saturn appears about as bright as Mars, but it currently is hard to see because of its position low in the dawn-lit sky. It will become easier to find on successive mornings as it moves out of the sun’s glare.

Free views of the Sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes from Tuesday through Sunday, before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for the schedule. The next free public star party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place on Saturday, February 1st, between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Follow The Sky Report, All Space Considered, and Griffith Observatory on Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.

From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.