BellaOnline Forums Education Astronomy Earthshine - Da Vinci glow

Venus was very bright last night and in conjunction with a crescent Moon. It's especially pretty if you catch it in the deepening twilight, though I saw it when it was fully dark. Venus was directly under the Moon in the sky about half a finger length length below it when I stretched out my arm.

An extra treat was the earthshine visible on the Moon. [Photo taken a few nights ago by Richard Sears of Merced, California]

It was very hazy last night but when I did notice the moon I saw the lower sliver. I didn't think too much about it except that it was bright but that is all i could see.

You can find out what causes earthshine.

In the darkness of space we see the part of the Moon that the Sun illuminates. But sometimes there is a bright crescent Moon with a dark shadow filling in the rest of the Moon's face. What lets us see the Moon's night side, and how might the phenomenon detect life on distant worlds?

Earthshine

I had never heard the term "Da Vinci glow" used for earthshine. It popped up recently on SpaceWeather.com. It's appropriate, I suppose, since Leonardo Da Vinci was the first to explain the phenomenon. And yet . . . "earthshine" is more descriptive, so I still prefer it.

The other night was very clear - unusual for London - and I could see the faint earthshine on a nearly half Moon. The best views are on a crescent Moon because other wise the bright reflection of sunlight completely dominates.