"Venus and the Moon" will soon reappear in the sky. Remember to watch this "Star and Moon Myth" tonight~

Xinhua News Agency, Tianjin, December 3 (Reporter Zhou Runjian) In recent months, Venus and the moon have appeared one or two evenings each month, and this month is no exception. On December 5, this high-value "star and moon fairy tale" will reappear in the night sky, becoming a beautiful landscape. Astronomical science experts said that compared with last month, Venus and the moon are not only at a higher altitude, but also can be observed for a longer time.

01 What is “ Venus accompanying the Moon ”

Normally, the moon and Venus are the first and second brightest celestial bodies in the night sky. The Venus-Moon conjunction, which is known as the most beautiful "fairy tale of stars and moon", refers to the time when Venus and the moon happen to move to the same right ascension, and the angular distance between them is the closest. It is a type of planet-moon conjunction.

The moon passes by Venus every month, but the distance between them is different each time. The moment when the two have the same right ascension is called conjunction, such as the specific time of this conjunction is 9th 4:00. Before and after this, the distance between Venus and the moon will also be very close, which is usually called Venus with the Moon.

Venus and the moon, photographed at Tuanbo Lake in Jinghai District, Tianjin on November 5, 2024. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

02 When the " on-duty " Venus meets the " patrolling " Moon

Recently, on sunny days, many people will see a super bright star "on duty" in the southwest sky on their way home from get off work or school. It is "the brightest star in the night sky" - Venus.

Yang Jing, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society and director of the Tianjin Astronomical Society, said that since Venus is within the Earth's orbit, it will only appear in the sky within a certain range near the Sun when viewed from Earth. Normally, the strong sunlight will prevent us from seeing Venus near the Sun, and we can only see Venus before sunrise and after sunset.

Venus and the moon, photographed at Jiangbin Park in Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province on November 4, 2024. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

During its "sky survey", the moon often passes by planets and some bright stars near the ecliptic, forming a celestial phenomenon of bright stars accompanying the moon. Among the many celestial phenomena of bright stars accompanying the moon, Venus accompanying the moon has distinct characteristics: it only appears within one or two hours before sunrise or after sunset; the shape of the moon is always a small crescent; the brightness of the two is relatively matched, and the viewing effect is good and pleasing to the eye.

03Every time the moon " catches up " with Venus, there will be a Venus-Moon show

Venus accompanying the moon is not uncommon. Every time the moon "catches up" with Venus, Venus will accompany the moon. Compared with last month's Venus accompanying the moon, this month's observation conditions are better: Venus's altitude above the horizon reaches 23 degrees at sunset, and you can see it by looking up; Venus is getting brighter, with the brightness increasing from -4.0 to -4.2; and the observable time increases from 1 hour to 2 hours.

Venus and the moon, photographed in Shijingshan District, Beijing on November 5, 2024. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

As both Venus and the crescent moon are very bright, this "star-moon fairy tale" is very suitable for the general public to appreciate and photograph with the naked eye. In the afterglow of the setting sun, Venus and the crescent moon are like a pair of lovers, sometimes whispering to each other, and sometimes looking at each other affectionately.

Venus and the moon, photographed at the Jinshanling Great Wall in Luanping County, Chengde City, Hebei Province on November 5, 2024. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)

"Most parts of my country have now entered winter, and the chances of fine weather are high, so this 'star and moon fairy tale' will be clearer. However, the weather is also relatively cold at this time, so you must take precautions against cold and keep warm when going out to watch the stars and the moon," Yang Jing reminded.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, Xinhua News Agency Domestic Department, Xinhua News Agency Tianjin Branch