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Credit & Copyright: Carlos Kiko Fairbairn
Explanation:
When two planets pass on the night sky, they can usually be seen near each other
for a week or more.
In the case of this planetary
conjunction, Venus and Mars passed within 4 degrees of each other earlier
this month.
The featured image was taken a few days prior, when
Venus was slowing rising in the pre-dawn sky, night by night, while
Mars was slowly setting.
The image, a four-part mosaic, was captured in
Brazil from the small town
TerescEpolis.
Besides Venus and Mars,
the morning sky now also
includes the more distant planet
Saturn.
Of course, these
conjunctions are only angular --
Venus, Mars, and Saturn continue to
orbit the Sun in very different parts of
our Solar System.
Next week, the angle between
Saturn and Mars will drop to below a quarter of a degree.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: Venus - Mars
Publications with words: Venus - Mars
See also: