First star you see tonight? A super bright Jupiter (followed by a lunar eclipse)

Amateur astronomers and night sky watchers have been treated to the sight of a super bright Jupiter ascending like a star next to a nearly full moon the past few nights. 

To earthbound observers, the two objects were little farther apart on Monday than the width of your thumb held at arm's length, according to National Geographic.

The Griffith Observatory notes that West Coast observers, gazing through a telescope, could see the Great Red Spot of Jupiter.

But your chance to see more than just drops of Jupiter isn't over yet. Shortly after sunset Tuesday, Jupiter will rise again near the almost-full moon, according to the observatory, whose public telescopes have been trained on the gas giant.

And in the morning, the moon, by now full, will graze the outer edges of Earth's shadow in what's referred to as a penumbral lunar eclipse. Anyone up early enough to see it will notice shading across the lower half of the moon for about an hour, starting shortly after 4 a.m. The maximum eclipse will occur at 4:47 a.m.

Here's more on how a penumbral lunar eclipse works, and why it only happens twice a year:

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Happy stargazing.