We received many beautiful photos to this weekend of the planets in the predawn sky, and the waning crescent moon, as it swept past them. Daniel Chang in Hong Kong captured the photos on this page.
Sunday morning was the last time you’ll see the moon before dawn. New moon is Monday (August 25, 2014) at 14:13 UTC. Afterwards, the moon will return to evening sky. Maybe you’ll see it as early as Tuesday, but, if not, and if your sky is clear, you’ll likely see the moon again Wednesday after sunset. Afterwards, as this week progresses, the moon will be waxing toward full … and by the way, the next full moon is 2014’s Harvest Moon.
Bottom line: It was a glorious weekend for planet-watching. The moon waned and appeared lower in the east before dawn each day, sweeping past Venus and Jupiter.
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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