A virtual planet fest occurs in the sky this week, but to see it you'll need to set your alarm pretty early. About 1 1/2 hours before sunrise, step outdoors and five planets will lie above your head. Two are very bright; two are quite faint. And one is so-so.

The brightest is Venus, low in the east. Right now, Venus glistens about as radiantly as ever, with its white cloud cover reflecting nearly two-thirds of all sunlight that reaches it.

Aim a small telescope at Venus and you ...

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