STEVE JASIECKI/Just past sunset, Venus and Saturn appear over the backbay in Margate
Submitted by STEVE JASIECKI
MARGATE – In this photo taken shortly after sunset Wednesday, Dec. 11 shows Venus positioned close to Saturn. When two celestial bodies come close together, it is known as a conjunction. Physically they are not close together; they just appear to be near each other from Earth’s vantage point.
Venus will be rising higher and getting brighter in the sky until March. Because Venus’ orbit is closer to the sun, it appears to move quicker among the fixed stars. Conversely, Jupiter and Saturn, which are much further away, appear to move much slower. That is why Venus could be seen moving past these two planets earlier this month.
Venus is the third brightest celestial object in the sky after the sun and the moon.
