Since last August, Venus has ben a fixture of the evening sky, shining more brightly than anything other than the Moon and the Sun itself. Venus' reign in the evening sky started on August 14, 2019, and will come to an end on June 3, 2020. The second planet is about to swing in front of the Sun getting lost in the glare. On June 3rd, Venus will pass almost directly between Earth and the sun--an event astronomers call "inferior conjunction." This is changing the face of Venus in an extraordinary way. The planet has become an slender crescent, growing thinner every night. Venus is "slenderizing" because it is turning its night side toward Earth. As Venus approaches the sun, only an increasingly narrow sliver of Venus's dayside is visible from here. It's like a miniature version of the crescent Moon. Amateur astronomers are encouraged to monitor Venus in the lead-up to inferior conjunction. In the nights ahead, the crescent of Venus will become increasingly thin and circular. The horns of the crescent might actually touch when the Venus-sun angle is least on June 3rd. Bonus: Look for Venus in the western sunset sky this week, and you'll see something extra. Mercury is approaching Venus for a conjunction on May 21st and 22nd. Then, the crescent Moon joins the show on May 23rd and 24th. It's a great way to end the day.
https://youtu.be/bNlEOZANSGY