Saturn will be visible in the night sky as a bright star in the south this weekend, while Venus passes behind the moon on Friday, just after noon.
Astronomy Ireland is setting up giant telescopes to show Saturn up close on Saturday, while Venus can be seen in broad daylight with the naked eye.
"This year, the rings are almost edge on a sight that only happens on average every 15 years so anyone seeing it in a big telescope will get an extremely rare view," said astronomer David Moore.
"Without a doubt, Saturn is the most incredible object we ever show the general public in our giant telescopes. They transform a bright 'dot' in the sky with the naked eye to a huge globe with cloud belts and rings.
"We can see up to six of its moons which are far too faint to see with the naked eye, but the powerful telescopes can pick them up easily," he said.
"Probably less than one in a million people on Earth have ever seen Saturn, its rings and its moons up close like this."
For those hoping to see Venus, he said that it can be seen between 12.40pm and 12.45pm as well as 2pm and 2.05pm tomorrow.
"The trick is to stand in the shadow of a building, so the sun is covered and not shining directly into your eyes. Then look about twice your hand-span at arm's length to the right of the sun," Mr Moore said.
He added that depending on where you are in Ireland, Venus will fade over the course of 30 seconds as the edge of the moon slowly covers it.
"If you have binoculars or a small telescope, take a close up look for an incredibly rare sight you may never see again in your lifetime."
