2017, September 20: Venus and Regulus

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Brilliant morning star Venus passes about one-half degree (the apparent diameter of the moon) from Regulus this morning.  The reflected sunlight from Venus provides a clear contrast of color with Regulus.   Regulus is about 80 light years away and its color indicates that its surface temperature is about 20,000 degrees F.

Venus outshines Regulus by about 100 times this morning.

Venus and Regulus are in conjunction again on July 9, 2018 when they appear in the western evening sky.  The separation is about 1 degree nearly twice the distance of this morning’s conjunction.

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