Close to the Moon

Moon close to JupiterIf you like seeing close appearances of bright objects in the sky, this week is being very good for you (assuming the weather in your location is being better than here). Last Saturday, the (very thin crescent) Moon was very close to Venus soon after sunset; I went out to try to look at it, but the only clouded area on the sky was the western horizon up to some 45 degrees... so, no luck there.

Tonight it is Jupiter's turn, with the Moon (now considerably less thin) very close to it and both setting around midnight. Jupiter is not as bright as Venus but it's no less spectacular (especially considering that the sky will be darker as it sets later). The sky is fully clouded here, I hope people have better luck in other locations...

(the times above are for Melbourne, and things will look different — that is, the Moon closer or farther away from Jupiter — depending on where you are)

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