NASA will this week go to Marsand you can see the "red planet" for yourself. Elements of this image ... [+] furnished by NASA.

Each Monday I pick out the northern hemispheres celestial highlights (mid-northern latitudes) for the week ahead, but be sure to check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy and eclipses.

Have you seen the comet? Comet NEOWISEone of the best comets for over 20 yearsis now fading, but still visible in the northwest sky when it gets dark.

As it fades, turn your attentions to for Mars. Its called the red planet for a reasonsee it rising this week in the east a few hours after dark and it will look a ruddy color as NASA launches its Mars 2020 mission,

Meanwhile, Jupiter and Saturn will shine brightly this week while the Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks.

The Moon will be getting bigger and brighter all this week as its waxes towards full, so its worth concentrating on planets, not stars.

The gas giants, Jupiter and Saturn, are shining brightly right after dark. You just cannot miss them in the southeastern sky, where theyre shining at their brightest of the year relatively close to each other.

Mars, on the other hand, you have to work a little harder for. It rises after midnight in the east. Even with the naked eye you should be able to make out its red color.

Happening from July 12 through August 23, the Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks in the early hours of Wednesday, July 29.

Expect about 20 shooting stars per hour after midnight as Earth busts into debris from a comets tail. In reality, only a few will be visible, but its still a good excuse to get outside and look up.

The Delta Aquariids are known for being slow-moving, and having a not-so-important peak, so you can look out for them a few dayseven weekseither side of tonight, too.

Illustration of NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover studying a Mars rock outcrop (not to scale). ... [+] Mars 2020 is targeted for launch in July/August 2020 aboard an Atlas V-541 rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

Today is the day that NASAs Mars 2020 mission to the red planetis scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force StationSpace Launch Complex 41. If successfully launched its Perseverance rover will land in Jezero crater on Mars on February 18, 2021.

It will leave Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket between 9:15-11:15 a.m. EDT.

Look east right before sunrise and you may be able to spot the red spot of tiny planet Mercury close to Pollux in Gemini. Super-bright planet Venus will be unmissable above.

Later in the day a 97% waxing gibbous Moonjust before its full phase on Mondaywill be close to, or even between, Saturn and Jupiter.

Today its the ringed planet that will be visited by a 99.5%-lit Moon, which will get to within 2.3 as it passes Saturn.

Next up is Augusts full Moon, the Sturgeon Moon or Corn Moon, on Monday, August 3, 2020.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

More here:

Fading Comet NEOWISE, Shooting Stars And NASA Goes To Mars: What To See In The Night Sky This Week - Forbes