Elektra's Sky

[Guest guest]

WASHINGTON — It's not just families that are getting together this

Thanksgiving week. The three brightest objects in the night sky —

Venus, Jupiter and a crescent moon — will crowd around each other for

an unusual group shot.

 

Starting Thanksgiving evening, Jupiter and Venus will begin moving

closer so that by Sunday and Monday, they will appear 2 degrees

apart, which is about a finger width held out at arm's length, said

Alan MacRobert, senior editor at Sky and Telescope magazine.

 

Then on Monday night, they will be joined by a crescent moon right

next to them, he said.

 

Look in the southwestern sky around twilight — no telescope or

binoculars needed. The show will even be visible in cities if it's a

clear night.

 

" It'll be a head-turner, " MacRobert said. " This certainly is an

unusual coincidence for the crescent moon to be right there in the

days when they are going to be closest together. "

 

The moon is the brightest, closest and smallest of the three and is

252,000 miles away. Venus, the second brightest, closest and

smallest, is 94 million miles away. And big Jupiter is 540 million

miles away.

 

The three celestial objects come together from time to time, but

often they are too close to the sun or unite at a time when they

aren't so visible.

 

The next time the three will be as close and visible as this week

will be Nov. 18, 2052, according to Jack Horkheimer, director of the

Miami Space Transit Planetarium.

 

But if you are willing to settle for two out of three — Venus and the

crescent moon only — it will happen again on New Year's Eve,

MacRobert said.

[Guest guest]

Hi Jewels,Thanks love for that description, I did find out what my "Motherships" actually were quite recently... Oh be still my over active imagination :-))I was so drawn to those beauties, I spent time taking in their love every evening.Much thanks and loveelektra x x x