JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Did you catch the special dance this morning? The waning crescent moon and Venus were rising in the eastern sky together hours before Thursday's sunrise.
The captivating pair were side-by-side, shining bright from about 3:45 a.m. to 6:45 a.m. Venus and the Moon will remain near one another through the day on Nov. 9, but the planet becomes harder to see as the sky gets brighter.
There were some folks who called into the newsroom at First Coast News during Good Morning Jacksonville to ask what they were seeing. Then, the pictures came flooding into our First Coast News Weather Watchers Facebook page.
You'll still be able to view the Moon and Venus on Friday morning, but Venus will rise sooner therefore, they will not be as clustered together in the morning sky.
Jupiter has also been visible at night this week as it's in "Opposition." This means the planet is currently opposite the Sun in our sky. You can expect Jupiter to rise around sunset and set around sunrise, meaning it's moving overhead and shining bright in the dark, night sky.
There are other opportunities coming this month to view planets!
According to EarthSky, "the waxing crescent moon will pass the steady light of golden Saturn on the evening of November 19, 2023. And on the evening of November 20, the 1st quarter moon will float near Saturn. You’ll be able to watch Saturn and the moon until around midnight."
Toward the end of the month, from Nov. 23 to Nov. 26, the waxing gibbous moon will be near Jupiter in the late evenings.
Then, the month ends with a full moon on Nov. 27. November's full moon is called the 'Beaver Moon.' It will rise in Jacksonville's sky the Monday after Thanksgiving at 5:35 p.m.