This week will not just see families joining together for thanksgiving, but even the three brightest objects in the night sky Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon will crowd around each other for an unusual group shot.

Alan MacRobert, senior editor at Sky and Telescope magazine, said, "Starting Thanksgiving evening, Jupiter and Venus will begin moving closer so that by Sunday and Monday, they will appear 2 degrees apart, which is about a finger width held out at arm's length." He added, "Then on Monday night, they will be joined by a crescent moon right next to them."

MacRobert said, "It'll be a head-turner. This certainly is an unusual coincidence for the crescent moon to be right there in the days when they are going to be closest together."

The brightest, closest and smallest of the three is the moon, which is 252,000 miles away. The second brightest, closest and smallest is Venus, which is 94 million miles away. Big Jupiter is 540 million miles away.

Jack Horkheimer, director of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium, reported, "The three celestial objects come together from time to time, but often they are too close to the sun or unite at a time when they aren't so visible. The next time the three will be as close and visible as this week will be Nov. 18, 2052."