Calm, Crescent Moon, and Venus

As seen on Astronomy Picture of the Day the Moon and Venus formed a beautiful close pair in the west after sunset. In this view of the conjunction from Sweden, a calm lake Vallentuna lies in the foreground with sunset colors still fading behind the treeline on the far shore. The young Moon’s sunlit crescent is bright, but its entire outline can be seen by Earthshine, light reflected from planet Earth itself.