Wow! The Moon is VERY close to Venus.

[liberaltrucker]

Anybody know the last time this happened? Pic was taken at about 8:40 PM
EDT tonight. Sorry about the quality-don't have the best equipment.

y'all!

[Systematic Chaos]

1. According to my brief time on teh Google, the Moon occults Venus...

...once or twice every decade.

Much more rare is an instance of Venus transiting across the disk of the Sun. There is going to be one this summer, and not another one until next century.

[liberaltrucker]

2. Cool!

[Bertha Venation]

4. Can one see that?

??

[Systematic Chaos]

7. You would view it same way as a solar eclipse.

Using binoculars or a low power telescope pointed to the sun while projecting the image onto a piece of posterboard a couple feet away.

With Venus, it would show a small dot moving slowly across the disk of the sun.

[Bertha Venation]

8. cool -- thanks

[HopeHoops]

3. They like a quickie every few hundred years.

[RZM]

5. I noticed that last night. Had no idea the small one was Venus though n/t

[pokerfan]

6. I got to see it last night despite the clouds

I was out for a walk -- wearing a hoodie! -- and the clouds parted just long enough to catch a glimpse.



I remember there was a particularly close conjunction back in 2009 so they aren't that uncommon. More rare (than total solar eclipses even) are Venus transits (of the sun) and we're scheduled for one this June which will be the last once until 2117!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transit_of_Venus,_2012