The brightest planet Venus was prominent in the west after sunset in early 2020, through about late May. On June 3, Venus went between us and the sun in what’s called an inferior conjunction for this inner planet. Now Venus is back in the morning sky – visible from around the world – very near the glare of these far-northern sunrises we’ve having around this solstice-time.
Those with telescopes know that Venus is now visible in a crescent phase. That’s because its lighted face, or day side, is mostly facing away from us now.
The photos on this page are from June 19, 2020, when the old moon – a waning crescent visible in the east before sunup – swept past Venus. Thanks to these two photographers and to all those who contributed to EarthSky Community Photos!
Bottom line: The brightest planet Venus is back in the east before sunup! It’s very bright, visible near the sunrise, in bright twilight. Here are two beautiful photos of the very old moon on June 19 – a waning crescent seen in the east shortly before sunrise – near Venus.
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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