2023年08月26日:金星的蛾眉位相-（Crescents of Venus） 2023年08月26日:金星的蛾眉位相-（Crescents of Venus）--原图下载{mtitle title="金星的蛾眉位相"/}Image Credit &Copyright: Roberto Ortu说明: 类似月亮有位相变化一样，金星可见的日耀区也会有盈亏。这组望远镜影像序列，呈现金星在2023年以昏星之姿出现的期间，日耀区渐次变化的景象。在地球与太阳之间的内行星轨道运行的金星，在这段期间的张角之所以会变大，是因为它越来越靠近地球。而它的蛾眉相之所以会愈来愈细，则是因为金星逐渐靠近我们往太阳的视线。它在8月13日来到最接近地球的下合位置，以大约8度的间距从太阳下方通过。如今金星已在清晨的东方地平线上方绽放光芒，结束了成为地球晨星的过渡。在8月21日，美国航太总署的帕克太阳探测器进行了对金星的第六次重力辅助飞越，并利用这次的相遇，操控探测器往记录上最靠近太阳的位置移动。{lamp/}原文：{mtitle title="Crescents of Venus"/}Image Credit &Copyright: Roberto OrtuExplanation: Just as the Moon goesthrough phases, Venus' visible sunlit hemispherewaxes and wanes.This sequence oftelescopicimagesillustrates the steady changes for Venus duringits recent 2023 apparition as our evening star.Gliding along its interior orbit between Earth and Sun, Venus growslarger during that period because it is approaching planet Earth.Its crescent narrows though, as the inner planet swings closer to ourline-of-sight to the Sun.Closest to the Earth-Sun line but passing about 8 degrees south of theSun, on August 13 Venus reached its (non-judgmental)inferior conjunction.And now Venus shines above the eastern horizon inpredawn skies, completing its transition to planet Earth'smorning star.On August 21, NASA's Parker Solar Probe completed its sixthgravity assist flyby of Venus, using the encounter to maneuverthe probe toward itsclosest approach yet to the Sun.

2014年01月01日:新年的新月状天体-（A New Year's Crescent） 2014年01月01日:新年的新月状天体-（A New Year's Crescent）--原图下载{mtitle title="新年的新月状天体"/}Image Credit &Copyright: Jay Ouellet说明: 日落时分，但悬在西方地平面上空的天体并非新月。这张使用望远长镜头，在地球．加拿大．魁北克市冰冷的12月30日傍晚所拍摄的天体，其实是带着眉相的金星。这颗非常明亮的天体，随着它逐渐往1月11日、位在地球与太阳之间的下合位置移动，将持续在暮光天空中沉降，同时，它的视张角也愈来愈大，而在双筒望远镜中，它的眉相也会变得更加纤细。在接下来数天的傍晚，将见到新月和眉状金星同在暮光中争辉。在1610年，伽利略是首位用自製望远镜观测金星位相变化的科学家，而其观测所见和哥白尼的日心学说吻合，但与托勒密的地心学说相违。{lamp/}原文：{mtitle title="A New Year's Crescent"/}Image Credit &Copyright: Jay OuelletExplanation: That's not the young crescent Moonpoised above the western horizon at sunset.Instead it's Venus ina crescent phase, captured with along telephoto lens from Quebec City, Canada,planet Earth on a chilly December 30th evening.The very bright celestial beacon is dropping lower into theevening twilight every day.But it also grows larger in apparent size and becomes asteadilythinner crescent in binocular views as it heads toward aninferior conjunction, positioned betweenthe Earth and the Sun on January 11.The nextfew evenings will see a young crescent Moonjoin the crescent Venus in the western twilight, though.Historically,the first observations of the phases of Venus were madeby Galileowith his telescope in 1610, evidence consistent withthe Copernican model of the Solar System, but not thePtolemaic system.