Venus setting, Mars rising

For the next few weeks we'll be treated to a pleasant evening skyshow. Shortly after sunset (and even before, for keen-eyed observers who know where to look) Venus will be visible as a blazing white "star" in the Western sky. About an hour later, Mars will rise above the horizon in the East as a bright rust-red "star".

These aren't stars, of course. They're planets, the two closest planets to the Earth. And while spectacular appearances of Venus are fairly common, Mars is currently the brightest and closest it will be until 2018. So when you're running around Halloween night soaping windows and stealing garden gates, spare a glance up at the sky and...enjoy.