Catch Venus and Crescent Moon in Monday Sky — SkimNews
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- Venus and a young crescent moon passed within a moon's width of each other around lunchtime on Monday, though the closest approach occurred in daylight and was not directly observable.
- The crescent moon was just over three days old with about 14% of its visible surface illuminated.
- By evening, the pair had separated slightly but still formed an attractive pairing for observers with a clear view toward the south-west.
- A reference chart showed the view looking south-west from London at 6.30pm, with the sun still above the horizon — prompting a warning not to use visual equipment or look directly at the sun.
- As the sun sank lower, Venus was expected to become progressively easier to see, though both were heading toward the horizon.
- From the southern hemisphere, the moon and Venus also appeared together, but higher in the evening sky after sunset.
Why it matters: UK observers had only a narrow post-sunset window — needing a clear south-western horizon and sun-safe viewing discipline — to catch this pairing, since the actual conjunction occurred in midday daylight and was invisible to the naked eye.
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