Morning people will get a breathtaking display of celestial bodies, as Venus will be joining the waning crescent moon and the bright star Spica in a stunning group-up before sunrise this week.
On November 7, all three will be in view early in the morning on the eastern horizon, forming a triangle that can be seen with the naked eye. With a magnitude of -4.5, Venus will be the easiest to spot with the naked eye due to its brightness.Â
About 1.1 degrees south of the planet will be a crescent moon with only 1% of its surface being illuminated by sunlight. It is possible to see Earthshine, light coming from the Sun reflecting on our planet and shining on the dark side of the Moon.
Third in the lineup will be Spica, which is the brightest star in the constellation Virgo and is 250 light-years away from Earth with a magnitude of 1.0.
For optimum visibility, observers need to get a good view of the eastern-southeastern horizon about an hour before sunrise. By 6 a.m., the three planets will be positioned about 6 degrees above the horizon, getting higher as the sky gets brighter.Â
This configuration will also be visible in the Southern Hemisphere in a higher position in the eastern sky.
As per Joe Rao of Space.com, Venus is now having one of the most remarkable morning appearances it has had since its inferior conjunction on October 24.Â
The planet will continue to increase in brightness, achieving its maximum brightness on November 29 at a magnitude of -4.9, which is 12 times as bright as Jupiter and 25 times brighter than the brightest star Sirius.
Venus will continue to be a morning object until mid-December before it disappears behind the Sun in July.
