The Crescent Moon, only 13% sunlit, lies just over 4 degrees south of brilliant white planet, Venus in the early morning at the SouthEast, best view from around 06.45 / 6.45am.

Catch Venus and Antares (orange star) in the constellation of Scorpius (The Scorpion) rising in the SouthEast just after 05:00 / 5am.

See the SkyMap for sighting – excellent opportunity for photo!

Venus Phase – 19% illumination
Extremely really cold this morning to capture above the image of Venus phase at 06:52pm with a lightbridge 16 inch and camera Canon EOS 500D by free-hand.

Also the below image the morning sky where it shows Venus and Saturn, click here for enlarge image.

Click here for enlarge image.

You could spot the Venus in the morning at the Southern East sky from 06:00 / 6am onwards from today, tomorrow, and so on till after Christmas, it’s closest to Spica star in the constellation of Virgo (The Virgins).

See the SkyMap for spotting the Venus in the morning sky.

Venus is essential lost in the Sun early this month, but slowly emerges from the Sun’s glare as by mid-November.

See above photo by Henry Mendt of Maracaibo, Venezuela, took this daylight picture of Venus only 7^o from the blinding sun on Sunday 31st October 2010.

Click here for his described how he safely targeted Venus using an 8-inch telescope and photographed the planet from inside the shadows of a parking garage.

Not now but you could see a Venus lies close to the bright white star Spica, Saturn, and the crescent Moon just before sunrise on November 30 at 07:00 / 7am.  A beautiful sight!

Other image was taken by Somsawat Rattanasoon  of Chiang Mai, Thailand by using his expensive Takahashi TOA-150 telescope and cheapest compact camera.

Sunset Planets
Mars and Saturn are meeting at a particular place with Venus to form a skinny triangle in the sunset sky in the West. When the sun sets tonight, go outside and look West.

Venus pops out of the twilight first, followed by Saturn, then Mars by binoculars or a small telescope.

See the SkyMap for tonight (Monday 26th July 2010), also Friday 30th July 2010 and Saturday 31st July 2010 when Saturn and Mars are only 2^o apart.

Above the image was captured by Miguel Claro, Portugal.
(Derekscope’s archives :- Thursday 15th July 2010.)

The 5.67 days old Crescent Moon is below Saturn as they form a right-angle (90`) with Mars at 22:00 / 10pm tonight.

See the SkyMap.

Catch Venus above Regulus Star.

Venus features well this month, it starts the month as evening object in the constellation of Leo (The Lion) 15 degress above the horizon in the west after sunset.

It is reasonably well placed for observation that Venus moves left in the Leo and nearer its planets Saturn and Mars.

See the SkyMap.

Click here for enlarge image.

The Planet of Venus forms a triangle with the two stars are Castor and Pollux in the constellation of Gemini (The Twin) in the evening twilight at the West.

Venus in brightest and Seven Sisters (Messier 45)

Catch Venus in an evening twilight conjunction with the `Seven Sisters` (Pleiades – star cluster). As the `Seven Sisters` slips lower in the sky it shares the evening with the brightest planet – Venus in the west. (A Great photo opportunity!)

See the SkyMap.

UPDATED @ 20:30 / 8.30pm :- The photo is added below.

1) Mars meets Beehive Cluster @ 21:00 / 9pm

Click here for enlarge image.

DON’T MISS – seeing Mars at it’s closet approach to the Beehive Cluster (Messier 44) in the constellation of Cancer (The Crab) this evening until the 24th April 2010.

The Red Planet – Mars, lies just 1.4 degrees north of the cluster tonight, making a great photo opportunity in the southwest  -  easily spot through a binocular.

2) Look at the West @ 21:00 / 9pm

Look at the West from 21:00 / 9pm to locate Venus at low horizon that a few degrees above it will be a waxing crescent Moon (2.27 days old and 6% lit) plus the `Seven Sisters` or `The Pleiades` (Messier 45) Open Cluster lies just above and to the left of the Moon.

Watch out for the Earthshine, good opportunity for photo! – see my photo.

HERE TO BE ADDED MY BELOW PHOTO, it was captured by Derek Rowley at Milton Keynes at  21:00 / 9pm tonight, as you see the white dot below the Moon, this is a planet – Venus.
Click here for enlarge image.