Explanation:
If you've been outdoors near sunset, then you've probably
noticed Venus low in the west as the
brilliant evening star.
Sometimes mistaken for a tower light
near the horizon,
Venus is the third brightest celestial beacon, after
the Sun and Moon, in planet Earth's sky.
That distinction is particularly easy to appreciate in
this
peaceful scene featuring the crescent Moon, Venus, and
sunset colors captured on
December 4th near Albany, Missouri, USA.
As this season's evening star,
Venus
will be at its most brilliant
tonight, but as December progresses the bright
planet will begin to
fall out of the western sky.
By early next week, December's Moon will have moved on to meet
another bright planet overhead -- Mars.
