Watch the Moon Meet Venus in the Dawn this Wednesday

universetoday.com ^ | February 24, 2014 | David Dickinson on

[BenLurkin]

Are you ready for some lunar versus planetary occultation action? One of the best events for 2014 occurs early this Wednesday morning on February 26th, when the waning crescent Moon — sometimes referred to as a decrescent Moon — meets up with a brilliant Venus in the dawn sky. This will be a showcase event for the ongoing 2014 dawn apparition of Venus that we wrote about recently.

This is one of 16 occultations of a planet by our Moon for 2014, which will hide every naked eye classical planet except Jupiter and only one of two involving Venus this year.

...

Wednesday’s event has a central conjunction time of 5:00 Universal. Viewers in northwestern Africa based in Mali and southern Algeria and surrounding nations will see the occultation occur in the dawn sky before sunrise, while viewers eastward across the Horn of Africa, the southern Arabian peninsula, India and southeast Asia will see the occultation occur in the daylight.

Observers worldwide, including those based in Australia, Europe and the Americas will see a near miss, but early risers will still be rewarded with a brilliant dawn pairing of the second and third brightest objects in the night sky. This will also be a fine time to attempt to spot Venus in the daytime, using the nearby crescent Moon as a guide. It’s easier than you might think! In fact, Venus is actually brighter than the Moon per apparent square arc second of surface area, owing to its higher average reflectivity (known as albedo) of 80% versus the Moon’s dusky 14%.

[Veto!]

Thanks. I have a nearby hillside that’s a great moon-watching spot if the weather cooperates.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

So most of us in the Western Hemisphere don’t get to see it. I guess it’s just a case of Venus envy.

[uncommonsense]

Maybe someone with a good vantage point will post a pic...

[metmom]

The weather NEVER co-operates here.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks BenLurkin, extra to APoD.

[SunkenCiv]

> This is one of 16 occultations of a planet by our Moon for 2014, which will hide every naked eye classical planet except Jupiter and only one of two involving Venus this year.

[BenLurkin]

http://www.johnspeedie.com/healy/saywhat.wav

[nothingnew]

BFL

FMCDH(BITS)

[Verginius Rufus]

The moon and Venus are the second and third brightest objects in the night sky? What is the brightest?

[BenLurkin]

The sun, I guess.

[Verginius Rufus]

The sun is obviously the brightest object in the sky...but it usually isn't visible at night. Maybe the writer was just being careless.

Jupiter is pretty bright right now in Gemini in the evening sky...but it is generally not as bright as Venus (it may occasionally be brighter but usually not).