The moon and Venus will appear close together in the night sky Monday, May 18, during a celestial conjunction visible across the Northern Hemisphere.
According to NASA, the moon and the bright planet Venus will appear side by side shortly after sunset Monday evening. While the two objects may appear very close from Earth, the effect is only an optical illusion caused by their positions in space. In reality, the moon and Venus remain millions of miles apart in their separate orbits.
How to see the Venus-moon conjunction in New York
According to TimeandDate.com, the best viewing time in New York will be shortly after sunset around 8:09 p.m. Looking west near the horizon, skywatchers should be able to spot a waxing crescent moon near Venus, the brightest planet visible in the evening sky.
The conjunction will remain visible for roughly two hours before both objects set around 10:45 p.m.
Monday evening forecast across New York
New York City
Mostly clear with a low around 73 degrees.
Hudson Valley
Mostly clear with lows near 69 degrees.
Capital Region
Mostly clear with lows around 67 degrees.
Finger Lakes
Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms before 9 p.m., then clearing skies with a low near 70 degrees.
Western New York
Partly cloudy with a low around 65 degrees and a slight chance of thunderstorms between 1 and 2 a.m.
Southern Tier
Mostly clear with a low near 68 degrees.
Contributing: USA Today Network
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: See the moon and Venus together in the night sky Monday
Reporting by Alexandra Rivera, New York Connect Team / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
