Venus blazes near Zeta Tauri, recreating the sight astronomers saw in 1054 when the Crab Nebula’s progenitor star went supernova.
On Saturday morning, look east to see Venus blazing near Zeta Tauri. Credit: Stellarium
- The close proximity of Venus and the Crab Nebula (M1) in the predawn sky offers a modern parallel to the supernova observation of 1054 AD, allowing for simultaneous viewing of both celestial objects.
- The Crab Nebula, visible as a magnitude 8.7 smudge, contains a 16th-magnitude neutron star at its center, remnants of the supernova.
- Venus, exhibiting a 73% illuminated gibbous phase and a 15″ apparent diameter, will remain visible well into twilight.
- The Moon, a 6% waxing crescent, will pass 1.3° north of Regulus in the afternoon, observable after sunset.
The Crab Nebula (M1) has one of the most famous origin stories around: The light from the supernova that created the nebula was recorded by ancient astronomers when it appeared as a “guest star” in July 1054. The new star, which sat near Zeta (ζ) Tauri, one of the horns of Taurus the Bull, was so bright it was visible during the day for a time.
Do you ever wonder what it was like to see a bright light appear in that spot in Taurus? Well, this morning is your chance, as magnitude –4 Venus sits just 45’ northwest of 3rd-magnitude Zeta Tau in the predawn sky. Look for the pair some 10° high in the east by 4 A.M. local daylight time. Half an hour later, they’ve gained another 5° in altitude. It’s a sight similar to the one those ancient astronomers got, but we also get a bonus: the mess of dust and gas left over by that exploding star, M1, which tonight sits just 0.5° north of Venus. They’re visible together in a telescope eyepiece.
The Crab shines at magnitude 8.7 and spans about 6’ by 4’, appearing as an oval-shaped smudge of light in most amateur scopes. At its center is a 16th-magnitude neutron star, the collapsed core of the star that died in the explosion. You’ll want to catch this target well before the sky starts growing light, as it’s faint and will be quickly washed out by the oncoming twilight.
Of course, you can also enjoy the sight of Venus through your scope, which isn’t a point of light but is instead a disk spanning a hefty 15”. The planet is now more than half-lit, showing off a 73-percent-illuminated gibbous phase this morning. It will be visible well into twilight, even after the stars have disappeared.
This afternoon, the Moon passes 1.3° north of Regulus at 4 P.M. EDT. You can view the pair for a little over an hour after sunset in the western sky, as they sink together toward the horizon. The Moon lies just to the upper left of Regulus; our satellite is now a delicate 6-percent-lit waxing crescent.
Sunrise: 5:53 A.M.
Sunset: 8:19 P.M.
Moonrise: 7:45 A.M.
Moonset: 9:42 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing crescent (4%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
