See the planet Venus in the daytime tomorrow (Friday) morning!

People sometimes ask me, "Why can't we see the stars in the daytime?" The short answer is that the bright blue daylight sky is simply brighter than the stars. However, there are a few stars and planets that are bright enough to overcome the daylight. The most prominent is Venus, which is now well placed for a morning viewing.

You need to find a very clear day with no clouds or haze. Then you need to know exactly where to look. Venus is a very small target in the big blue sky and our eyes will not easily be able to focus on it. What we need is a landmark (or skymark) to help us.

Well, tomorrow morning (Friday) we will have help from the waning crescent moon which will appear to pass very close to Venus. Between 11:00-11:30am the moon will be about 1 moon width away from Venus. Venus will be a bit below and to the left of the moon.

The moon will be tricky to spot as it is thin, only 3 more days till new and pretty close to the sun.

To spot the moon, find a spot where you face due south and are shaded from the sun by a wall or tree. Look south and about 3/4 of the way up in the sky. 

The pair will look something like this simulation:

However, Venus will not look so large. It will be only a pinprick next to the moon.

I plan to be out in my garden between 11:00 - 11:30. Feel free to drop by if you want to join me.

-AstroTom

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