This week’s must-see event in the night sky is for early risers and, so long as the clouds cooperate, it will be well worth setting the alarm for. A slim crescent moon will meet the bright planet Venus in the morning sky. To add to the aesthetics of the view, the conjunction will take place just beneath the body of Leo, the Lion.
The chart shows the view looking east from London at 06:00 BST on 14 October. At this time, the sky will still be fully dark. On this morning, the moon will have just 10% of its surface illuminated, and Venus will be a brilliant jewel-like point of light in the pre-dawn sky.
From the southern hemisphere, the view is not so easy to see. The further south you are located, the closer to sunrise the pairing will rise. From Sydney, Australia, for example, the moon and Venus will appear in the brightening dawn sky, and Leo will appear to be on its side, just northward of the conjunction.
