The Inconstant Moon

As a satellite observer, the Moon is, for a good week or ten days each month, frankly a pain in the arse. It is bright enough to induce a drop in night vision; it washes out the background darkness of the sky; it makes faint satellites more difficult to spot; and when it is full it is usually at its most inconvenient in the few hours after sunset, just as the evening sats are illuminated.

But yesterday morning, looking out of my living-room window before dawn, it was hanging beautifully, low in the South East, as a waning crescent. It's at times like this that the Moon is at its most enchanting, hovering at the edge of the night.

And this morning, looking for it again, and not finding it, I noticed Venus making an appearance as a morning star. It was only a month ago - the first posting of this blog - that I last saw Venus as an evening star. Funnily enough, when I checked a website about Venus I noticed in the sidebar an advert - Thompsons Holidays offering best deals on flights to Venus. I can think of many other hot-spots where I would rather go for a bit of Winter sun!