Calm, Crescent Moon, and Venus
Last weekend, the
Moon and Venus formed a beautiful close
pair in the west after
sunset, a scene enjoyed by skygazers all
over the world.
In this lovely view of the
conjunction from Sweden,
a calm lake Vallentuna lies in the foreground with
sunset colors
still fading behind the treeline on the far shore.
The young Moon's sunlit crescent is bright, but its entire outline
can be seen
by Earthshine, light reflected from
planet Earth itself.
For well-placed skygazers,
on Sunday, May 16 the Moon actually
occulted (passed in front of) brilliant Venus.
For many, the occultation was visible
during daylight hours.