Look to the sky: Venus will shine impressively from this week of supermoon and lunar eclipse

(CNN) – Venus, the closest planet to Earth, will shine impressively in the night sky this week, having been obscured by the glare of the sun for much of the winter and spring.

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, look west or northwest 30 minutes after sunset, and it should be visible immediately. It is the second brightest object in our night sky after the moon.

It’s blindingly obvious. It doesn’t twinkle like a star, but it has a constant light that makes it easy to spot, ‘said Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society in the UK.

The resurgence of the planet – sometimes called the “evening star” – in the night sky has led to an increase in UFO sightings in the past, Massey said, with its position low in the sky just after dark putting it in the sky. people’s line of sight.

While Venus is easily seen with the naked eye, if you look at it through a telescope, you may see that it has a slightly convex, gibbous shape.

That’s because it seems to change shape as it moves between us and the sun, a bit like the moon phases.

Venus will remain visible in the night sky until the end of the year.

See the supermoon

Sky watchers will also be able to see the supermoon “of flower” May on Wednesday. This supermoon will be the closest moon to Earth in 2021, according to EarthSky.

There are two to four supermoons each year. These lunar events are often a brilliant sight to watch because they are brighter and larger than normal full moons. The definition of a supermoon varies, but is generally defined by how close the moon is to Earth.

May’s supermoon will also be the first total lunar eclipse since January 2019, according to EarthSky. It will take just over three hours for the moon to pass through Earth’s shadow, but the actual lunar eclipse will last less than 15 minutes.

During the eclipse, the moon will have a reddish hue due to sunlight filtering through Earth’s atmosphere, according to NASA, so some also refer to this month’s event as a “blood moon.” .

Depending on your location, you may be able to get a glimpse of part of the eclipse. Most of North and South America will be able to see it in the early hours of the morning, while East Asia and Australia will see it at night.

In the United States, the total eclipse will begin at 7:11 am ET and end at 7:26 am ET, but will be partially visible from 5:45 am ET until 8:52 am ET. To check if the eclipse will be available where you live, check timeanddate.com.