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Space Science News home |
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 Mar. 17, 1999:
This week, on Friday, March 19, 1999, the crescent Moon, Venus and
Saturn will
present a beautiful display when they appear together
in the western sky just after sunset.
To see the show simply go outside at twilight and look west.
The Moon and Venus will be nearly impossible to miss
approximately 15 degrees above the horizon.
Venus is so bright that it is often mistaken for an airplane,
but it does not blink or move so it should be easy to identify.
Approximately midway between Venus and the Moon lies a fainter object, the ringed planet Saturn. Saturn and Venus will be separated by a scant 2 1/2 degrees. Right: This rendering by artist Duane Hilton shows the relative positions of Venus, Saturn, and the Moon in the western sky above California's Mt. Whitney this Friday. The celestial trio of Venus, Saturn, and the Moon clustered so in the evening sky should be a memorable sight. But there's more: Cradled in the arms of the slim crescent Moon will appear the ghostly outline of the full Moon, a dim glow that astronomers call "Earthshine." |
| Like all the planets we see in the night sky, the Moon does not shine by its own light. It reflects sunlight. The side of the Moon facing the sun shines brightly, and the side facing away is nearly dark. The only significant illumination on the "dark side of the Moon" is due to Earthshine -- sunlight that bounces off the Earth and falls on the lunar surface. A slender crescent Moon with Earthshine is widely regarded as one of the most delicate and beautiful sights in the night sky. |
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Left:
So far 1999 has been
a good year for planetary alignments, including
Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus on March 5 and a
spectacular conjunction
of Venus and Jupiter on Feb. 23, pictured left.
Unfortunately, cameras and video rarely capture the
beauty of such events as seen with the naked eye.
More information & image credits
As if a triple conjunction with Earthshine weren't enough, there will be one additional treat for sky watchers with access to a telescope or a good pair of binoculars. Sky & Telescope reports that a telescope will reveal a 6th-magnitude star just a fraction of a degree from Venus. It will look very much like a satellite of the planet. In fact, Venus is one of only two planets in the Solar System with no moons at all (the other is Mercury). |
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Jupiter-Venus conjunction -- Astronomy Picture of the Day, Mar. 8, 1999
This week's sky at a glance -- from Sky & Telescope The Nine Planets: Saturn -- from SEDS The Nine Planets: the Moon -- from SEDS The Nine Planets: Venus -- from SEDS The Solar System Photo Gallery -- from the National Space Science Data Center More NASA Space Science News |
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