This isn’t the Moon: NASA shares an extraordinary photograph of Venus

At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking this remarkable photograph shows a crescent Moon. But the glowing arc is actually Venus, captured in an unusual alignment that reveals something fascinating about the planet’s atmosphere. The image, taken by French astrophotographer Thierry Legault on October 24th, was featured as NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day. It shows Venus positioned almost directly between Earth and the Sun, producing an incredibly thin crescent that appears to stretch around much of the planet.

Why does Venus look like this?

Like the Moon, Venus goes through phases as its position changes relative to Earth and the Sun. When the planet passes between Earth and the Sun, we see almost entirely its unilluminated side. However, unlike the Moon, Venus has a thick atmosphere that bends and scatters sunlight. This creates a luminous arc extending beyond the usual 180-degree crescent, with the elongated tips known as the horns of Venus.

The result is an extraordinary sight, with the planet appearing almost like a glowing ring against the darkness. Venus reaches this alignment roughly every 18 months, although capturing such a striking image requires careful timing and specialist astrophotography equipment.

NASA notes that the crescent can be observed through a small telescope or binoculars during twilight, while exceptionally sharp-eyed observers may even distinguish it without optical assistance.