The duet of the Venus Moon and the Quadrantid meteors stun stargazers

On Friday, stargazers around the world saw a stunning celestial scene as Venus shone brightly above the crescent moon.

The planet was visible to the naked eye from Great Britain to the United States, Turkey and China.

Venus is often called the Evening Star or the Morning Star because, when visible, it appears to be the brightest “star” in the sky.

This new year is expected to bring more astronomical delights as January 2025 will be a good month to spot Venus and Saturn. Be sure to take a look at the sky on January 18th, as these planets will appear only 2.2° apart.

Stargazers can also spot shooting stars blazing across the sky like Quadrantid meteor shower continues.

This shower, which is expected to peak on Saturday, has been visible since December 26 and will continue until January 12.

Dr Robert Massey, deputy director of Britain’s Royal Astronomical Society, said observers hoping to see the celestial fireworks after sunset would need to be “as far away from light pollution as possible”.

“If you have time to look closely and the weather is nice, have a look as it’s the perfect New Year’s Eve treat.”