Venus and the Crescent Moon 27-28 March 2014 (see Venus in the daylight)

Morning sky on Thursday March 27 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 6:00 am ACDST in South Australia.  Venus is well above the horizon with the crescent Moon nearby. Mercury is relatively high above the horizon. The inset show the telescopic view at this time. Similar views will be seen elsewhere at the equivalent local time (click to embiggen).

This Thursday and Friday Mornings will see the crescent Moon close to Venus, this will be lovely to look at, and a nice subject for photography.

Thursday morning is also a good time to see Venus in the daytime. Venus can be readily visible during the day if you know where to look. Using the Moon as a handy guide will help you find it. Make sure the Sun is hidden behind something solid like a building or a wall when you are looking for Venus, not trees or your hand. Exposing your eyes directly to the glare of the Sun can be very dangerous and you could potentially lose your sight.

Look for the crescent Moon, and Venus should be visible as a bright dot about a hand-span (the distance covered by your fingers when you hand is help up at arms length in at “stop” gesture, about 6 degrees) below and a little to the right of the Moon.  It’s best to look just after Sunrise when the Sun is still low and the sky is less bright. You may need to look carefully for a while before Venus”pops” out at you. Sometimes locating Venus in binoculars will help with locating it with the unaided eye.

On Friday morning the Moon is below Venus, and a bit further away (8 degrees) so it may be harder to spot Venus.