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Астронет: Астрономическая картинка дня Меркурий встречается с серпом Венеры http://variable-stars.ru/db/msg/1662626/eng |
Credit & Copyright: Marco Meniero
Explanation:
That's not a bright star
and crescent Moon
caught between branches of a eucalyptus tree.
It's Venus in a crescent phase and Mercury.
Near the western horizon after sunset, the two inner planets
closely shared this telescopic field of view on May 22, seen from
a balcony in Civitavecchia, Italy.
Venus, the very bright
celestial beacon,
is wandering lower into the evening twilight.
It grows larger in apparent size and shows a
thinner crescent
as it heads toward its inferior conjunction, positioned between
Earth and Sun on June 3.
Mercury, in
a fuller phase, is climbing in the western sky though,
reaching its maximum angular distance from the Sun on June 4
Still, this
remarkably
close pairing
with brilliant Venus made
Mercury, usually lost in bright twilight skies, easier to spot
from planet Earth.
Gallery:
Notable
Venus & Mercury Conjunction 2020 Images
submitted to APOD
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.