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Very thin white crescent against gray background.

Farewell, Venus

Posted by and in Astronomy Essentials | Today's Image | 1 month ago

Photos – taken through telescopes, or with other optical aid – from the EarthSky community. The brightest planet Venus is now in a thin crescent phase as viewed from Earth. Venus will go between us and the sun on June 3.

AIM spots season’s 1st Arctic noctilucent clouds

Posted by in Earth | Today's Image | 1 month ago

NASA’s AIM spacecraft spotted wisps of the 2020 season’s 1st noctilucent, or night-shining, clouds over the Arctic on May 17.

Young moon, Venus, Mercury photos

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 months ago

The young moon returned to the evening sky this weekend, to sweep past the bright planets Venus and Mercury.

Markarian’s Chain of galaxies

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 months ago

Markarian’s Chain forms part of the Virgo galaxy cluster. When viewed from Earth, the galaxies lie along a smoothly curved line. Armenian astronomer Benjamin Markarian discovered these galaxies’ common motion in the early 1960s. American astronomer Fred Espenak captured this image.

Have you seen Venus and Mercury? Photos here

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 months ago

Wow! Thanks, everybody, for the wonderful Venus and Mercury photos! These 2 worlds have been nearest each other this week for all of 2020. A selection of photos from our community here, and many more at EarthSky Community Photos.
3 crescents - Venus, the moon, the eclipsed sun - all at about the same phase.

Crescent Venus, moon, sun

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 months ago

Three crescents – Venus, the moon, the eclipsed sun – all at about the same phase.
A large hurricane, or tropical cyclone, approaching India from the east.

Tropical Cyclone Amphan

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 months ago

Tropical Cyclone Amphan on May 19, 2020, on approach to eastern India and Bangladesh.

Last Antarctic sunset

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 months ago

This was the last sunset – prior to several months of winter darkness – at Concordia Research Station in Antarctica. Scientists at the station are studying how living in extreme conditions affects the human body and mind.

This isn’t a triple rainbow

Posted by in Earth | Today's Image | 2 months ago

It’s what’s called a reflection rainbow, which can be caused by sunlight beaming upward after reflecting from wet sand or calm water, in this case the water of Puget Sound.

2 views from space: San Francisco Bay

Posted by in Today's Image | 2 months ago

A beautiful image of San Francisco Bay via ESA’s Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.