When the sun goes down tonight, step outside and look south.  Beaming through the twilight is one of the prettiest things you'll ever see--a tight three-way conjunction of Venus, Jupiter and the crescent Moon.  The event is visible from all parts of the world, even from light-polluted cities.  People in New York and Hong Kong will see it just as clearly as astronomers watching from remote mountaintops. Only cloudy weather or a midnight sun (sorry Antarctica!) can spoil the show.

The great conjunction offers something extra to Europeans. For more than an hour on Monday evening, the crescent Moon will actually eclipse Venus. Astronomers call such an event a "lunar occultation." Venus emerging from the dark edge of the Moon is a remarkably beautiful sight.  Sky watchers across Europe will be able to see this happen.

Photo: Crescent Moon, Venus and Jupiter closing in on each other. (Taken in Australia, where everyone is reporting a smiling face in the sky. The Planets being the eyes and the crescent Moon for the smiling mouth !! )

Thunder storms rolling through , Clouds like my mood , foreboding and blue. The rain makes me thirsty for the forbidden drink , I'm not as far from falling as I sometimes think. So damn stupid thinking I could beat it with ease , when so many times I've been brought to my knees. Please lord humble and see me through this dark day , comfort me, love me and show me the way , to beat the beast at his sly little game , restore my sanity and remove my shame.

Let the rain fall down and wake me from my dream, let the rain fall down 'cause I'm coming clean ; Let it wash away my shame and make me scream, Let the rain fall down 'cause I'm coming clean.
Let it fall, let it fall, down down down, Let its cold hard hand smash me to the ground; Where I pray and I plead for sanity, on my knees I scream for sobriety.  Let it fall upon my eyes like tears of regret, let it fall fall fall 'till I'm soaking wet ; with the pain and hatred for society, washed down down down making me clean, washed down down down breaking me free. Let the rain fall down and wake me from my dream, let the rain fall down 'cause I'm coming clean.   ~ Burrpatch