Moon-Venus Conjunction to Be Seen in the Arab Skies Tonight

A spectacular celestial event will take place in the skies over the Arab world tonight, as the moon and Venus are in conjunction, separated by just three degrees. The alignment, visible to the naked eye, marks the beginning of the moon's monthly journey past the bright planets. Head of the Jeddah Astronomy Society, Eng. Majed Abu Zahra, said that the crescent moon and Venus will appear together shortly after sunset, before the sky darkens fully. As the second and third brightest objects in the night sky, after the sun, they will present a striking view. A faint glow, caused by sunlight reflecting off Earth (known as Earthshine), will softly illuminate the unlit part of the moon's disk. Abu Zahra said that while the moon and Venus are too far apart to be seen together through a telescope, binoculars will allow for closer observation. "Venus sets about 80 minutes after sunset in early October, offering an ideal opportunity to view it during twilight. Through a telescope, the planet's disk is currently 83 pe rcent illuminated by sunlight," he said. Abu Zahra highlighted another astronomical event in mid-October: arrival of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which will appear 20 to 25 degrees northwest of Venus on October 13 and 14. The comet may even be visible to the naked eye, though comets are notoriously unpredictable. By October 25, Venus will appear three degrees north of the star Antares. Toward the end of the month, Venus will draw closer to Earth, with its disk measuring 14 arcseconds and being 77% illuminated. Source: Saudi Press Agency