Anyone looking up at the sky during the pre-dawn hours may have seen some stars that appear to be brighter than normal. But these are actually not stars – they are planets.

Storm Watch Team Meteorologist Michele Powers says that Jupiter and Venus will appear to be close together starting on Friday.

Powers says that around 5 a.m. – about an hour before sunrise – anyone looking toward the east/southeast horizon will be able to see the planets. She says they can be seen with the naked eye, but anyone with a telescope will be able to see them even more clearly.

The planets will appear even closer together starting on Saturday.

Powers says that it is an illusion as seen from Earth that makes it appear that Jupiter and Venus will be touching each other. Venus is 90.3 million miles away, while Jupiter is 530 million miles away from Earth. Both will appear to rise together in the pre-dawn sky. By Saturday they will be the closest and then over the following days appear to pull apart again.

Powers says that while Mars isn't part of the conjunction, it will shine nearby.