The planet Venus was in the morning sky for most of last year, and it was in our evening sky – but low in the sky and not noticeable in December, 2014. Now Venus is back! It’s that very bright object in the west just after sunset each evening. On January 21 and 22, 2015, the moon is moving up past Venus in the west after sunset. These photos are from EarthSky friends on Facebook and Google+. Thank you to all who posted!
Wondering about Thursday night’s view of the moon and planets? Check out this link, and see the chart at the bottom of this post.
Bottom line: A beautiful sky just after sunset on January 21, 2015! The moon, the bright planet Venus and, for some, the planets Mercury and Mars. Yay! Venus is back. Thanks for our friends on Facebook and G+ for these wonderful photos.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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