Spot Venus in the sky this weekend!

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - If you’re looking forward to some time outside this weekend, don’t forget to look up! Venus will be at its highest point in the night sky on Sunday, June 4 offering stellar viewing opportunities.

After sunset, look west. The bright star you’ll see is actually Venus. You may also be able to see Mars, which is smaller and redder.

Meanwhile, NASA is working to get an even closer look at what it calls Earth’s “evil twin.” While hostile now, the planet may have had origins very similar to Earth.

Dr. Erika Kohler, Planetary Scientist in NASA Goddard’s Solar System Exploration Division, is also a Deputy Project Scientist with NASA’s DAVINCI project.

She said the DAVINCI project aims to sent a probe mission to Venus in 2029 to learn more about the planet. That may give us clues about Earth’s development, and potentially, its future.

“By learning more about Venus, we’ll be able to put it in context with the rest of our planets, including including Earth, but also planets that were discovering and other solar systems,” said Dr. Kohler.

The DAVINCI mission is set to enter the atmosphere of Venus in 2031.

You can keep up with the project and learn more about Venus exploration here.

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