Look to the sky for planets

A Paisley observatory is urging Buddies to look out for Venus and Mercury this Friday as the two planets will be visible just after sunset - a marvel that will not happen again for another 12 years.

Coats Observatory posted the announcement on their social media page to let stargazers know the two planets would be visible across Renfrewshire around 10.30pm - and it will not be visible again until 2033.

A spokesperson for Coats Observatory said: “Venus should be easy to spot as it is the third brightest in the sky after the Sun and Moon.

“You will likely need binoculars to make out Mercury though as it is much smaller and fainter than its nearest neighbouring planet.

“However on the night of the conjunction they will only appear a short distance apart, even though in reality they are separated by about 150m km, so if you can find Venus you should be able to locate Mercury.

“The next time these two planets will be in conjunction is not until May 2033, so hopefully we will get some clear skies for this one.”