Moon Venus and Jupiter in Sunset Show

Venus and Jupiter have spent the last several weeks first approaching each other, then passing each other on March 13.

Venus and Jupiter still adorn our evening sky at dusk, but they’re now going their own separate ways after their spectacular mid-March tryst. But one last event is still to occur and will be spread across two nights, o March 25 and on March 26. The moon is only about 248,000 miles (400,000 km) from our earthly vantage point, and appears to move much more rapidly against the starry backdrop night to night, as opposed to the more distant dynamic duo of Venus (67 million miles, or 108 million km) and Jupiter (535 million miles, or 861 million km). So on March 25 evening, a slender sliver of a crescent moon will sit less than 3 degrees to the right and slightly above Jupiter. For North Americans, the two objects appear closest together at around 9 p.m. EDT. Venus will about 10 degrees above them. By Monday evening, the moon will have vaulted up to meet Venus. The moon will be a slightly wider crescent, sitting less than 3 degrees to the left and a bit above Venus. Jupiter will soon be ending its brilliant nearly year-long showing in the coming weeks. It will next return to view before the onset of dawn during the final week of June. In contrast, Venus will be growing ever brighter. Now it standing at its highest point above the horizon for 2012. On March 27 Venus is at greatest eastern elongation from the sun (46 degrees). Thereafter it will begin descending back toward the western evening horizon, slowly at first, then with increasing speed in May.
source:www.space.com