Beautiful stargazing conditions tonight. Look for the moon near Venus
Image of Thursday's ultra-thin crescent moon (2.3% illuminated) Photo take by myself, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist and Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel
The very young crescent moon will appear near Venus during the next few evenings. It will be easier to spot than Thursday when it was barely visible to the naked eye.
The moon will appear higher in the sky each evening through the weekend. On Saturday, it will still be close to Venus. You should be able to catch a glimpse of Earthshine over the next few days. This occurs when the dark areas of the moon facing Earth are illuminated by Earth itself. It's similar to how a full moon lights up the landscape.
Next weekend, the moon will be near another very bright planet, Jupiter. Then, just a few days later, it will near Mars.
Viewing Conditions
Tonight's weather will make for fantastic stargazing conditions across most of the eastern U.S. A dry air mass will lead to haze and cloud-free conditions for many.
With the moon setting early, this will be a good night to view and photograph the Milky Way! Moonlight will be increasing in the coming nights, so get out there soon.
Not too many things are free anymore; however, looking at the night sky is still one of those things. Thanks for reading! Just look up; you never know what you will see.
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