Dawn on Anzac Day this year is extra special. If you regularly attend dawn services, you’ll know that the view of the stars and planets change from year to year. This year, there are three naked-eye planets visible in a conjunction with a beautiful waning crescent Moon. A conjunction is where two astronomical objects, likes planets, appear close together in the sky.
Venus is the brightest to the left of the moon, Saturn is to the right and further towards the horizon is Mercury. Over coming weeks you’ll see them appear to move away from each other. If you watch regularly, you’ll be marveling at the motion of our amazing solar system.
Use the above image as a guide. Astronomical images provided by SkySafari, a Simulation Curriculum Company, All rights reserved www.simulationcurriculum.com.
When and where to look:
Look towards the eastern horizon from 5am on 25th April. The view will add to the poignancy of this very special morning.
Something Interesting:
Venus was once thought to be a tropical paradise! Astronomers from hundreds of years ago believed that due to the presence of an atmosphere, and the fact that Venus is closer to the Sun than the Earth, Venus would experience conditions similar to the equatorial regions of Earth. Today, we know this is far from true, with the average surface temperature of Venus reaching over 450 degrees Celsius and occasional bouts of acid rain!