Brilliant Venus shines through thin clouds this evening.  Dimmer Mars is 5.5 degrees to the upper left of Venus and the Moon is 11.5 degrees above Mars.  The planets are closest on February 3.  Venus does not pass Mars at this appearance.

For more information about the Venus-Mars encounters and other planet observations, see these articles:

• 2017 Evening Planets
• 2017 Morning Planets
• Venus as an Evening Star, 2016-2017
• Chart and Image Collection
• The Venus-Mars Encounter
• Jupiter’s Year with Spica:  A Triple Conjunction