Anyone who reads this column regularly knows how much I enjoy seeing a conjunction of the moon and Venus in the western sky at dusk.
I’m not sure why it’s so beautiful to me.
Perhaps it takes me back to my childhood; even then I was enamored by this almost three-dimensional pair as daylight was fading.
I still get that same feeling when I gaze upon these two, and this coming Saturday (Feb. 1) will occur another great show that I’m looking forward to.
The two actors in this celestial drama have long been recognized as female characters.
The moon has been known for ages as Diana, Isis and Levanah.
Why many cultures perceived the moon to have female traits is anyone’s guess. Perhaps it’s her 28-day cycle during which she dances among the stars, intriguing us with her ever-changing shape and brilliance.
And Venus — well, she was known by both the ancient Greeks and Roman as the goddess of love, and anyone seeing her light up the sky will understand completely.
On Saturday, the moon will appear in the direction of Venus at dusk, and together they will create a pair worthy of stepping out into the cold.
The fact that they appear near each other that night is, of course, an illusion.
Our moon is our nearest celestial neighbor, only about 226,000 miles away on that evening, and Venus — currently our second-nearest celestial neighbor — will lie about 48 million miles away.
On Saturday evening they will lie roughly along the same line of sight but will give the impression that they’re close to each other.
The pair will create a beautiful sight to the unaided eye. And, while the moon will appear as only a thin crescent lit directly by sunlight, you will be able to see a ghostly outline of the full moon.
This is called earthshine, and it’s caused when sunlight reflecting off the Earth falls back onto the darkened lunar surface.
You can even try taking a photo of the pair. Just aim your smartphone in their direction during twilight, and snap a shot or two.
You may need to zoom in a bit, but you should capture a wonderful image to help you remember.
For a real visual treat, aim binoculars in their direction. You’ll see both the moon and Venus together, and the lunar earthshine will be much more obvious; you’ll even be able to make out the darker lunar features (the “seas”) quite easily.
And if you have a small telescope, you can certainly get a closeup look at each of these celestial bodies in turn.
Expect the moon to appear quite dramatic; the craters on its sunlit crescent combined with the eerie earthshine make a wonderful sight.
If you then aim the telescope toward Venus, don’t be surprised by what you see. Though Venus orbits the sun, it also displays phases like the moon, so with a telescope you’ll be able to see it in a thick crescent phase this week.
Mark your calendar now so you don’t miss this beautiful twilight event. Now let’s hope clouds don’t ruin our view!
