Space
Moon, Venus and Mars Pose 'Triple Threat' in Early Morning Sky
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: Sep 10, 2015 10:03 AM EDT
Early this morning, you may have caught a special treat in the sky. About an hour before sunrise Thursday morning (Sept. 10), a slender crescent moon and two bright planets were visible in the sky.
The stunning array of the moon and planets were visible relatively low to the east, about 15 degrees above the horizons. In order to get a clear view, you needed to ensure that there were no buildings, trees or clouds in the way.
The two planets, in this case, were Venus and Mars. Venus has been a prominent object in the sky for some time now, and that's because of its high albedo, which is the amount of light it reflects back into space. This albedo comes from the permanent cloud layer that surrounds the planet and which reflect about 75 percent of the sunlight they receive back toward Earth.
If you missed the spectacle this morning, though, you shouldn't be too disappointed. The planets should still be visible in the early morning skies.
In addition, there's a bigger spectacle that's set to light up our skies later this month. On September 27, a total, lunar eclipse will occur at the same time as the so-called "supermoon." This particular sight should be phenomenal, as long as the clouds stay away from the night skies.
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First Posted: Sep 10, 2015 10:03 AM EDT
Early this morning, you may have caught a special treat in the sky. About an hour before sunrise Thursday morning (Sept. 10), a slender crescent moon and two bright planets were visible in the sky.
The stunning array of the moon and planets were visible relatively low to the east, about 15 degrees above the horizons. In order to get a clear view, you needed to ensure that there were no buildings, trees or clouds in the way.
The two planets, in this case, were Venus and Mars. Venus has been a prominent object in the sky for some time now, and that's because of its high albedo, which is the amount of light it reflects back into space. This albedo comes from the permanent cloud layer that surrounds the planet and which reflect about 75 percent of the sunlight they receive back toward Earth.
If you missed the spectacle this morning, though, you shouldn't be too disappointed. The planets should still be visible in the early morning skies.
In addition, there's a bigger spectacle that's set to light up our skies later this month. On September 27, a total, lunar eclipse will occur at the same time as the so-called "supermoon." This particular sight should be phenomenal, as long as the clouds stay away from the night skies.
Related Stories
Fireball Explodes in Flames Over Bangkok and is Captured on Camera (VIDEO)
Rare 'Supermoon' Lights Up Sky: Harvest Moon Eclipse Coming Up
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone