Take a Look Before You Head Out (or In)

Tomorrow night is the Big Kahuna Night for New Year’s Eve celebrants. The old year ends, flowing smoothly into the New Year in a tick of a second. Some folks like to go out and partay; others like to stay in and celebrate it at home. Whatever you do, here’s a little skygazing task for you before you embark on your celebration:  step outside sometime between 5 and 6 p.m. (1700-1800 hours) and look to the western horizon. If your skies are clear, you should be able to see the crescent moon and the planet Venus near each other.  The chart below shows how it should look from my latitude (42 N).  Take a moment to savor the sight!  And, you can practice for it tonight — Venus, the crescent moon (not quite as close together as tomorrow night)  and Jupiter and Mercury (both just setting) should be visible not long after sunset.  Well worth checking out!