June 13, 2021: After sunset, look for the thin crescent moon near Mars. The lunar sliver is also to the upper left of the star Pollux.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Two evenings after the crescent moon appeared with Venus, the lunar slice appears 2.9° above Mars and over 10° to the upper left of Pollux.
Step outside about 45 minutes after sunset and look to the west-northwest for the crescent. Follow the pair until they set over 2.5 hours after sunset and 15 minutes after the end of evening twilight.
The planet and the moon appear in the same binocular field. Notice the gentle illumination on the moon’s night portion. This is earthshine, from sunlight reflected from Earth’s oceans, land, and clouds. This evening from the moon, Earth is a bright gibbous phase. The same occurs when a bright moon illuminates the terrestrial landscape.
If the observations are made early in the evening, brilliant Venus is about 20° to the lower right of the lunar crescent. The planet is easily observed through the delicate, colorful hues of early evening.
Photograph the moon and capture earthshine with a tripod-mounted camera. Exposures can range up to a few seconds. On the photo above the moon was photographed with a 140mm lens at f/5.6. The exposure was 4 seconds with an ISO set at 100. The waning crescent moon was 14% illuminated, similar to the phase this evening.
Articles and Summaries
- Venus as an Evening Star
- Venus Evening Star (Summary)
- Mars during 2021 (Summary)
- Planets during June 2021
RECENT ARTICLES
2022, July 26: Morning Venus, Crescent Moon, Evening Dragon
July 26, 2022: The crescent moon makes a spectacular artistic display with Venus before sunrise. Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn arc across the sky above Venus. Draco is in the north after twilight ends.
Keep reading
2022, July 25: Moon Nears Venus, Planet Parade Begins After Sundown
July 25, 2022: The thin crescent moon is nearly caught between the Bull’s horns before daybreak. The four bright planets – Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn – nearly span the sky before daybreak.
Keep reading
2022, July 24: Morning Crescent, Planet Parade
July 24, 2022: A thin crescent moon is in the eastern sky this morning, along with the planet parade that includes Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.
Keep readingCategories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
Leave a Reply