pic: Wierd Moon Object

[Qbranch]

Quick! Go outside and look at the moon! Do you see a bright object right next to it? I've called three people in three different states and they all see it, do you?

What could it be? Can you get a pic?

So far all i've guessed is its a star somewhere having some kind of an event...

-q :ahh:

p.s. attached a crappy photo of it with my cam phone.

[MGoelz]

Hey, I just went outside, and I see it too.
That is really spectacular! If anyone finds out exactly what it is, I'd like to know.:yikes:
Too bad I'm at my dad's and I don't have my camera with me.:(

[Eldarion]

From a SpaceWeather.com Email:

Space Weather News for May 19, 2007
http://spaceweather.com

DON'T MISS THIS: When the sun sets tonight (Saturday, May 19th), go outside and look west. Venus and the crescent Moon will pop out of the twilight barely 1-degree apart. It's a spectacular pairing of the two brightest objects in the night sky. The display will be visible from brightly lit cities and even through thin clouds. Visit http://spaceweather.com for a sky map and photos.

If a friend sent you this alert and you would like to subscribe, click here: http://spaceweather.com/services/

[Qbranch]

[cdm-description=photo]28633[/cdm-description]

[Gabe]

My dad says it happens about every ten years, so astronomically it is a very common thing. ;)

[Qbranch]

Sure am glad other people saw this, thought i was crazy for a moment.

Thanks guys,

-q

[Daniel Brim]

Thanks for the tip, I just went and got a photo of it. Pardon it being slightly out of focus, it was the best I could get with this lens which is not very good.

[Alan Anderson]

There's nothing weird about the planet Venus. It's been there in pretty much the same place in the sky for weeks. The Moon just happens to be passing very near it tonight.

Check them out in binoculars -- when seen at high magnification, Venus is also revealed as a crescent.

[Ken Leung]

Here is my submission. See any resemblance?

[Roger]

Look at the Moon!

Ha! As soon as I saw the thread title I knew what you going to say.

It's more common than you think. Astronomy Picture of the Day (a website of NASA) shows things like this all the time. Here is one of the more spectacular ones: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap061030.html

One from March: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070324.html and December 2005: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap051209.html. Both not as close but still surprises some people.

Here's one from Earth Science Picture of the Day, which mentions that the two has a conjunction (meets) on the 20th. Perhaps that's what Gabe's dad means by every ten years: http://epod.usra.edu/archive/epodviewer.php3?oid=362976

Naturally, I missed it as it was raining. I can almost predict the weather by when things like this happen in the sky. :(

Both are pretty cool websites.

[ahecht]

It's times like these that I really wish the clouds over New England would go away.

[Protronie]

Wow... it might be common to see but its still kewl.
Even from the city its bright, wish I was up on a mountain somewhere where the air is clear... bet its really something to see then! :D

[Tytus Gerrish]

this coughht my eye last night too it looked like the MEC flag from Battlefield 2

[seanl]

Thats what sucks about being in Los Angeles county... you cant see things like this..

[BlondeNerd]

Before prom, my group went to Borders (We're nerds) and there were telescopes set out on their sidewalk to see Venus. A bunch of kids in prom dresses staring through telescopes must have been quite a sight!

[Alan Anderson]

Thats what sucks about being in Los Angeles county... you cant see things like this..

These were by far the two brightest objects in the sky after sunset. Dark skies are not necessary. Unless your view of the sky was blocked, you could have seen this even standing in the middle of a well-lit football stadium.

The view in the western sky tonight will be similar, but with the crescent moon a little thicker and well above the planet Venus instead of right next to it.

[Daniel Brim]

Thats what sucks about being in Los Angeles county... you cant see things like this..My photo was taken from Redondo Beach. You can see it.

[Jeff K.]

Thats what sucks about being in Los Angeles county... you cant see things like this..

I was driving back from my cousin's home in San Marino that night and I saw it pretty well. I was on the 210 in the mountains heading towards the San Fernando Valley.

[seanl]

I was driving back from my cousin's home in San Marino that night and I saw it pretty well. I was on the 210 in the mountains heading towards the San Fernando Valley.

then it was proabably blocked by a tree or something.because i live in arcadia right next to san marino. ill look out for it tonight.

[rarprrydude234]

yes, i noticed it at a friends house and the first thing we thought of this event was "you know those creepy events on the old sci-fi shows where they are on the moon and....". this was quite unusual and it was pretty intriguing at the same time. quite a sight to see.

[joshsmithers]

Hmm, our team had a cookout last night and i'm surprised nobody noticed this.

But, just now, our family went out and we could tell where venus and saturn were, similiar to this (http://www.earthsky.org/skywatching/crescent-moon-shows-off-planets).

[robostangs548]

That is pretty cool looking.

[Roger]

Another cool thing to watch for is the International Space Station (ISS). Right after sundown or before sunrise is the best time. Just a bright star travelling across the sky until it disappears in the Earth's shadow.

http://spaceflight1.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/index.html

[Cooley744]

Yep, yep, it's been stated and im just varifying its correct...It's VENUS!

[ay2b]

For another great shot of this, see the "Astronomy Picture of the Day" (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html) from today (2007 May 23) (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070523.html)