If you're up early on any clear mornings this week - and by "early" I mean around 3am - you'll see a pair of stars shining low in the sky in the east, just a few finger widths apart.

These aren't actually stars, but planets.

On the left, the fainter of the two is Mars, famously known as "The Red Planet".

At the moment that red colour isn't very obvious because it's shining in a bright sky but later in the year, when Mars is high and in a dark sky, its famous ruddy hue will be much more obvious.

To the right of Mars you'll see a much brighter point of light. This is Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.

It has more of a blue-white light than Mars, and is noticeably brighter too.

If you look at Jupiter through a pair of binoculars you'll see what look like some tiny stars close to it.

These are some of its extended family of moons.

The most you will see through binoculars is 4, but it has more than 80.

By 03:30 Mars and Jupiter will be joined in the sky by another planet, as Venus climbs up from behind the horizon, down to their lower left.

Although Venus is mos commonly referred to as an "Evening Star" it is sometimes visible before sunrise, and that's the case at the moment.

If you get up early to see these planets, keep an eye on the sky to the north east too.

You might see the tail end of a display of Noctilucent clouds, looking streamers and ribbons of electric blue light shining above the horizon.