Today's Image

Venus over Saronikos Gulf, Greece

Posted by
Deborah Byrd
and
December 21, 2014
Venus over the Saronikos Gulf, Greece, by Nikolaos Pantazis. Thank you, Nikolaos!
View larger. | Venus over the Saronikos Gulf, Greece. See it in the orange twilight? Photo by Nikolaos Pantazis. Thank you, Nikolaos!

The brightest planet Venus has been sitting close to the glare of sunset on these December evenings, 2014. It takes a deliberate effort to see this world at evening dusk. Nikolaos Pantazis captured this beautiful image of Venus on December 18,2014. It’s Venus over the Saronikos Gulf in Greece.

Be sure to watch the skies on December 22, December 23 and December 24, when the waxing crescent moon will be back in the evening sky, moving up first Venus and then Mars in the western twilight. Find an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunset, and bring along binoculars, if you have them, to enhance the view.

The moon will be moving up past Venus, and then Mars, early this week. The green line represents the
The moon will be moving up past Venus, and then Mars, early this week. The green line represents the “ecliptic,” or sun’s path across our sky.

In early December, at mid-northern latitudes like those in Greece or the United States, Venus was setting only about 30 minutes after sunset. It’ll be setting much farther behind the sun – about 75 minutes after sunset – by New Year’s.

By January, all of us will begin to notice Venus in the evening twilight sky.

Posted 
December 21, 2014
 in 
Today's Image

Deborah Byrd

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About the Author:
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah 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. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. 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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