The Night After Christmas Sky Show   
       
   Dec. 23, 2011:T'was the Night after Christmas and all through the house, not a   
   creature was stirring ...   
       
   ...because everyone was outside watching the planets align?   
       
   It's true. On Dec. 26th, the night after Christmas, Venus and the slender   
   crescent Moon will gather for a jaw-dropping conjunction in the western sky.   
       
   http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2011/12/23/thadvsoske_strip.jpg   
       
   A Venus-Moon conjunction photographed in Nov. 2011 by Thad V'Soske of Fruita,   
   CO. The "Night After Christmas" conjunction will look about the same.   
   Copyright: T. V'Soske/Cosmotions.com   
       
   The action begins shortly before sunset. Around 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm local time,   
   just as the sky is assuming its evening hue, Venus will pop into view,   
   glistening bright in the deepening twilight. No more than 6 degrees to the   
   right lies the crescent Moon, exquisitely slender, grinning like the Cheshire   
   cat with his head cocked at humorous attention. This is a wonderful time to   
   look; there are very few sights in the heavens as splendid as Venus and the   
   Moon gathered close and surrounded by twilight blue.   
       
   But don't go inside yet, because the view is about to improve. As the sky   
   fades to black, a ghostly image of the full Moon materializes within the horns   
   of the lunar crescent. This is caused by Earthshine, a delicate veil of   
   sunlight reflected from our own blue planet onto the dusty-dark lunar terrain.   
   Also known as "the Da Vinci glow," after Leonardo da Vinci who first   
   understood it 500 years ago, Earthshine pushes the beauty of the conjunction   
   over the top.   
       
   Meanwhile, Jupiter will be looking down on it all from a perch overhead in the   
   constellation Pisces. In ascending order, Jupiter, Venus and the Moon are the   
   three brightest objects in the night sky, able to pierce city lights and even   
   thin clouds. Almost everyone, everywhere will be able to see them.   
       
   Although no telescope is required to enjoy the show, if one happens to be   
   under your Christmas tree, take it outside. With a simple triangular sweep,   
   you can see the clouds and moons of Jupiter, mountains and craters on the   
   Moon, and the fat gibbous form of Venus. (Like the Moon, Venus has phases, and   
   at the moment she is 83% illuminated.) Rarely can so much amateur astronomy be   
   done with so little effort.   
       
   Some people find the night after Christmas to be a bit of a letdown. This   
   year, it's not so bad."   
       
       
   Author:Dr. Tony Phillips| Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:   
   Science@NASA   
       
   More Information   
   Science@NASA -- home page   
       
   The Da Vinci Glow -- Science@NASA   
       
       
   Regards,   
       
   Roger   
      
   --- D'Bridge 3.64   
    * Origin: NCS BBS (1:3828/7)