Brilliant Morning Star Venus appears above the crescent moon on October 14, 2020.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Before sunrise on October 14, the brilliant planet Venus and the crescent moon appear in the eastern sky along with the star Regulus.
Venus is moving eastward in front of the stars of Leo the Lion.
The chart above displays the moon, Venus and two bright stars of Leo – Regulus and Denebola. Regulus is portrayed as the Lion’s Heart, while Denebola marks the Tail.
See our summary about Venus during October 2020 and the feature article about Venus as a Morning Star.
On the chart above, Venus is less than one-third of the way up in the eastern sky. The moon, 27.0 days past the New phase and only 8% illuminated, is 6.6° to the lower left of Venus. Venus is over 13° to the lower left of Regulus.
Photographers can capture “earthshine” on the night portion of the moon. Reflected sunlight from Earth gently illuminates the lunar night. The effect appears on photographs of few seconds.
Here’s the guide for the planets tomorrow (October 15, 2020).
Read more about the planets during October.
2021, April 20: Venus, Gibbous Moon, Mars, Evening Wonders
April 20, 2021: Venus is very low in the west-northwest after sunset. The gibbous moon is in Cancer, between Regulus and Pollux. Mars, above the horns of Taurus, approaches the star cluster Messier 35.
2021, April 20: Bright Jupiter, Saturn, Morning Planets
April 20, 2021: Bright Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeastern sky before sunrise, gently moving eastward compared to the starry backdrop of Capricornus.
2021, April 19: First Evening Appearance of Venus
April 19, 2021: The first evening appearance of Venus for this apparition occurs this evening. Look for it low in the west-northwest about 20 minutes after sunset.
2021, April 19: Moon, Twins, Mars, Evening Watch
April 19, 2021: Venus begins to appear in the west after sunset. The moon lines up with Pollux and Castor, while Mars is above Bull’s horns in the western evening sky.
2021, April 19: Bright Jupiter, Saturn, Morning Planets
April 19, 2021: The bright morning planets, Jupiter and Saturn, are in the southeastern sky before sunrise. Capricornus is the starry background for this giant planet duo.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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