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February 15, 2013
• Although the positions of the moon and Venus relative to each other and to the horizon will vary around the world, it hardly matters. Simply look eastward an hour or so before sunrise for the brilliant duo close to the horizon. The moon and Venus rank as the second-brightest and third-brightest celestial bodies in all the heavens, after the sun. In North America, the twosome will snuggle up close enough together to take stage within a singular binocular field. You might be able to see earthshine on the darkened portion of the lunar crescent.
• January 2013 guide to the five visible planets
• Unlike the sun and stars, which shine by their own light, the moon and Venus shine by reflecting sunlight. Both of these worlds show the full range of phases over time as the moon revolves around Earth and Venus revolves around the sun. For the most part, you need an optical aid to see the phases of Venus.
• You might think the phases of the moon and Venus should be similar tomorrow morning, given that these two orbs shine at nearly the same spot on the sky's dome. Alas, it's not that easy. Venus exhibits an almost-full waxing gibbous phase, with 95% of Venus' daytime side facing Earth. Tomorrow morning's moon, in contrast, will show 95% or more of its nighttime side.
• At present, Venus, the second planet outward from the sun, lies on the far side of the sun as seen from Earth. It's well over 650 times the moon's distance away. As seen from Earth, the moon - unlike Venus - can never reside on the far side of the sun. The moon can only look full when it's opposite the sun in our sky. Hence, that's the reason for the wildly different phases for the moon and Venus before sunrise tomorrow.
• Whether the phases of the moon make sense to you or not, you can't help but be entranced by the beauty of the early morning attraction on January 10, 2013: the waning crescent moon and Venus.
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