Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2023 August 26 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. Crescents of Venus Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Roberto Ortu Explanation: [5]Just as the Moon goes through phases, Venus' visible sunlit hemisphere [6]waxes and wanes. This sequence of [7]telescopic images illustrates the steady changes for Venus during its recent 2023 apparition as our evening star. Gliding along its interior orbit between Earth and Sun, Venus grows larger during that period because it is approaching planet Earth. Its crescent narrows though, as the inner planet swings closer to our line-of-sight to the Sun. Closest to the Earth-Sun line but passing about 8 degrees south of the Sun, on August 13 Venus reached its (non-judgmental) [8]inferior conjunction. And now Venus shines above the eastern horizon in predawn skies, completing its transition to planet Earth's [9]morning star. On August 21, NASA's Parker Solar Probe completed its sixth gravity assist flyby of Venus, using the encounter to maneuver the probe toward its [10]closest approach yet to the Sun. Tomorrow's picture: Three Galaxies and a Comet __________________________________________________________________ [11]< | [12]Archive | [13]Submissions | [14]Index | [15]Search | [16]Calendar | [17]RSS | [18]Education | [19]About APOD | [20]Discuss | [21]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell ([25]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [26]Specific rights apply. [27]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [28]ASD at [29]NASA / [30]GSFC, [31]NASA Science Activation & [32]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2308/fasidivenere.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://www.flickr.com/photos/194524290@N05/ 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo_Galilei#Phases_of_Venus 6. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/482/galileos-phases-of-venus-and-other-planets/ 7. https://www.flickr.com/photos/194524290@N05/53120589281/ 8. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/inferior-conjunction-venus-between-sun-and-earth/ 9. https://history.nasa.gov/SP-424/ch1.htm 10. https://blogs.nasa.gov/parkersolarprobe/2023/08/23/venus-flyby-sends-parker-solar-probe-toward-record-setting-flights-around-the-sun/ 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230825.html 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 20. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=230826 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230827.html 22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 28. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 29. https://www.nasa.gov/ 30. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 31. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 32. http://www.mtu.edu/