If you’re an early riser, try stepping outside tomorrow morning for a view of Venus and the slim crescent Moon, which will be paired low in the east before sunrise. The Sun comes up around 7am, so there should be a lovely view starting around 6, if you have a view to the east that allows you to see the pair very low to the horizon. Once the sun is up, keep an eye on the pair, as they are both bright enough to view in the daylight.
You may notice a star to the lower left of Venus. That is Regulus, the brightest star in Leo. Keep an eye on it over the next few days, as Venus moves closer and closer to it. By the morning of September 20th, the Moon will be long gone from the morning sky, but Venus and Regulus will be a lovely pair, only half a degree apart. What a magnificent ‘double star’ that will seem, with just the eye or through binoculars. Through a telescope, Venus shows a small gibbous phase, but here is a good chance to compare the colours of Venus and Regulus. How do they compare to you?
