Although they will really be more than 74 million miles apart, the planets Mars and Venus will appear to coyly court each other on the evening of February 20. Stargazers will be able to clearly track the movements of the brightly glimmering planets.

The dance has already begun, as Venus shines forth in the early evenings with a magnitude of -3.9, which is bright enough to be seen even in large urban areas with severe light pollution. Currently, the much dimmer Mars (with a magnitude of 1.3) appears to hover above the jewel-bright planet. On February 20, the two planets will begin to switch places, and will pass within a degree of each other on the horizon. They will remain visibly close through the evening of February 22.

Despite being named after the Roman goddess of love, the conditions on Venus are less than romantic. Beneath a thick shroud of clouds composed of corrosive sulfuric acid, giant volcanoes constantly erupt into an atmosphere thick with carbon dioxide. The atmospheric pressure is also 90 times higher than that on Earth, and the blanket of clouds traps the sun’s heat so effectively that the surface temperature averages at over 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

On Mars, in contrast, the temperature rarely rises above freezing, despite being named for the volatile Roman god of war. At the poles, conditions are so chilly that carbon dioxide freezes out of the atmosphere, creating a thick layer of what is essentially dry ice. Mars appears much dimmer to observers from Earth not only because it is more distant from the sun than Venus, but also because it is more distant from the Earth. During the planets’ apparent rendezvous, the red planet will actually be about one-and-a-half times further away.

There will also be many other attractions featured in the night skies during February. Comet Lovejoy, although it was at its brightest in January, will still shine on its way across the heavens. Jupiter will also take the stage as it rises in opposition to the sun, creating an effect that will magnify its brilliance in much the same way that a full moon can get so bright. The planet will have a -2.6 magnitude and should be visible through most of February.

Early risers may also see Mercury zipping across the horizon between about 5:30 and 6:15 a.m. with a fairly bright magnitude of zero.