Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2020 November 14

                     Venus, Mercury, and the Waning Moon
                  Image Credit & Copyright: Kevin Sargozza

   Explanation: Yesterday, early morning risers around planet Earth were
   treated to a waning Moon low in the east as the sky grew bright before
   dawn. From the Island of Ortigia, Syracuse, Sicily, Italy this simple
   snapshot found the slender sunlit crescent just before sunrise. Never
   wandering far from the Sun in Earth's sky, inner planets Venus and
   Mercury shared the calm seaside view. Also in the frame, right of the
   line-up of Luna and planets, is bright star Spica, alpha star of the
   constellation Virgo and one of the 20 brightest stars in Earth's night.
   Tomorrow the Moon will be New. The dark lunar disk means mostly dark
   nights for planet Earth in the coming week and a good chance to watch
   the annual Leonid Meteor Shower.

                 Today watch: Commercial Crew Launch to ISS
                         Tomorrow's picture: edge-on
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       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Phillip Newman Specific rights apply.
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                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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