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APOD
Astronomy Picture of the Day
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
The Dance of Venus and Earth
Explanation: Every time Venus passes the Earth, it shows the same face. This remarkable fact has been known for only about 50 years , ever since radio telescope s have been able to peer beneath Venus' thick clouds and track its slowly rotating surface. This inferior conjunction -- when Venus and Earth are the closest -- occurs today . The featured animation shows the positions of the Sun, Venus and Earth between 2010-2023 based on NASA-downloaded data , while a mock yellow 'arm' has been fixed to the ground on Venus to indicate rotation. The reason for this unusual 1.6-year resonance is the gravitational influence that Earth has on Venus, which surprisingly dominates the Sun's tidal effect . If Venus could be seen through the Sun 's glare today, it would show just a very slight sliver of a crescent . Although previously visible in the evening sky , starting tomorrow, Venus will appear in the morning sky -- on the other side of the Sun as viewed from Earth.
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| Date | June 3, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Credit | Video & Text Credit: James O'Donoghue ( JAXA ); Data: NASA , HORIZONS ; h/t: Josef Chlachula |
| Authors & editors: | Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP) |
| A service of: |
ASD at NASA / GSFC, NASA Science Activation & Michigan Tech. U. |