A beautiful crescent moon appears above Venus in the morning sky before sunrise on October 13, 2020.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Look eastward on the morning of October 13 for a beautiful crescent moon above brilliant Venus.
The chart above shows the pair along with the star Regulus (in Leo) about an hour before sunrise.
Venus rises at about 4 a.m. local time, about 3 hours before sunrise. The moon rises about an hour earlier than Venus. As morning twilight begins, the moon, Venus and the starry background rise higher into the sky.
See our summary about Venus during October 2020 and the feature article about Venus as a Morning Star.
If the sky is exceptionally clear, it might be easy to follow Venus and the moon in the eastern sky after sunrise.
On the accompanying chart, the moon is 26.0 days past the New moon phase and 16% illuminated. The lunar crescent is 8.8° above Venus and 5.9° to the lower left of Regulus.
Photographers can capture “earthshine” on the night portion of the moon with time exposures of a few seconds or more, along with the hues of twilight.
Find the moon and Venus tomorrow (October 14, 2020).
Read more about the planets during October.
2021, May 18: Planet Quintet, Waxing Moon
May 18, 2021: Bright morning planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. After sunset, Evening Star Venus, Mercury, and Mars are lined up in the western sky. The thick crescent moon is higher near Regulus.
2021, May 17: Planets, Moon Line Up
May 17, 2021: The five bright planets – Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, and Mars – are visible in night sky. Jupiter and Saturn are in the morning. Evening Star Venus, Mercury and Mars are in the evening sky with the crescent moon.
2021, May 16: Lunar Occultation, Mercury Best!
May 16, 2021: The moon occults a star in Gemini this evening, and Mercury reaches its greatest separation from the sun. Bright Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. After sunset, Evening Star Venus, Mercury, Mars, and the lunar crescent are lined up above the western horizon.
2021, May 15: Planets on Review
May 15, 2021: Five planets and the crescent moon are visible today. Morning Planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. Brilliant Evening Star Venus, Mercury – on its best evening appearance of the year, Mars, and the crescent moon are in the western sky after sunset.
2021, May 14: Planets on Parade
May 14, 2021: Five planets are on parade. Bright Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. After sundown, brilliant Evening Star Venus, Mercury, Mars, and the lunar crescent are in the evening sky.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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