The skies over the Arab world will witness a fascinating astronomical event tonight as the crescent Moon aligns with Venus. This spectacle will be easily visible to the naked eye after sunset and early into the night, with the Moon and Venus situated just 2.8 degrees apart on the western horizon. Jeddah Astronomy Society Director Eng. Majed Abu Zahra said that Venus will gleam like a sparkling diamond in the sky to the naked eye, as it will be illuminated by 90% of the Sun's light. Due to its rapid movement around the Sun in its smaller orbit, its apparent size will appear larger when seen through a telescope in the near future because of its closeness to Earth. Moreover, the illumination of its disk will gradually decrease until it resembles a crescent by March 2025 when observed through a telescope. Abu Zahra pointed out that in the upcoming nights, observers will notice the unlit side of the Moon's surface emitting a dim light, which is sunlight reflected from the Earth falling on the Moon. Furthermore , the Moon's illumination will gradually increase and rise higher in the sky at sunset, staying visible for a more extended period after the onset of the night due to its continuous movement away from the sunset position. He indicated that tonight marks the start of the Moon's monthly journey across the sky. Observing it over the coming nights and weeks will help locate other planets and bright stars as it moves eastward in its orbit around the Earth. He emphasized that this phase of the lunar month is ideal for observing faint objects in deep space, such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters, since the Moon, which typically obscures natural lights in the sky, sets early in the night. Source: Saudi Press Agency
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