
Closest Planetary Conjunction of the Year - Waxing Crescent Moon and Venus After Sunset - Watch Out for the Da Vinci Glow. Brilliant Venus and the waxing crescent Moon will be together on January 27, for an eye-catching sunset sky show. The planet Venus is so bright you can see it in broad daylight--if you know where to look. Venus, the sky's brightest planet, is pairing up with Neptune, the faintest planet on January 27th. Neptune is the only solar system planet that you absolutely cannot see without an optical aid. So you won't see Neptune with the eye. If you own a small telescope try to catch the celestial duo. Venus and Neptune will stage the closest planetary conjunction of the year on January 27, 2020 On January 28th, for the second night in a row, Venus and the crescent Moon are pairing up in the southwestern sky at dusk after the sun sets. Right now, Venus is 75% illuminated. Because it's still nearly 105 million miles (169 million km) from Earth, Venus continues to appear relatively small in telescopes. Nonetheless, as it continues to come around from behind the Sun, the illumination angle has changed enough to show that it now appears distinctly gibbous in shape. Watch Out for the Da Vinci Glow If you go outside to witness the meating of Venus and the waxing crescent Moon, pay special attention to the Moon. Cradled between the arms of the waxing crescent is a display of light and shadow that puzzled sky watchers for thousands of years ... until Leonardo da Vinci figured it out. It's the "Da Vinci Glow" also known as Earthshine. Note the soft glow of Earthshine on the darkened portion of the Moon. Go outside when the sun goes down and enjoy the show. Clear Skies Everyone!

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