December 13, 2020: The old crescent moon is low in the east-southeast before sunrise. Venus looks on to the upper right of the moon.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:10 a.m. CST; Sunset, 4:20 p.m. CST. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times for your location.
This morning, the old crescent moon is about 10° to the lower left of Venus. The moon is very low in the sky. Find a clear horizon toward the southeast. The moon is only about 4° in altitude. The chart above shows the scene about 45 minutes before sunrise.
Detailed Note: Forty-five minutes before sunrise, Venus is about 12° up in the southeast. The razor-thin, crescent moon (28.3d, 2%) – only about 4° up in the east-southeast – is 9.5° to the lower left of Venus.
See our summary about Venus during December 2020 and the feature article about Venus as a Morning Star.
Read more about the planets during December.
2021, April 21: Evening Star Venus, Gibbous Moon, Mars
April 21, 2021: Evening Star is making its first appearance in the west-northwest shortly after sunset. The gibbous moon is near Leo, while Mars is near the foot of Castor.
2021, April 21: Morning Planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Capricornus
April 21, 2021: Jupiter and Saturn are the bright morning planets in the southeast before sunrise. The stars are in front of the backdrop of Capricornus. The constellation looks like an oversized boomerang or stealth fighter.
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.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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