美国宇航局科学
(原标题: NASA Science)
2026-10-29
浏览次数: 1516
那不是月亮。但如果你认为那是天空中的新月，那也情有可原。这是一个鲜为人知的事实，金星也有相位。（其他星球呢？）这张特色图片显示金星几乎就在太阳和地球之间。这种情况每一年半发生一次，就像每个月新月期间发生的排列一样。但是新月是黑暗的，而金星的背光大气折射和散射了阳光，形成了一个发光的新月形弧线，延伸超过180度：这个弧线的尖端被称为“角”。在黄昏时分，用小型望远镜或双筒望远镜可以看到新月，但那些视力特别敏锐的人也可以用肉眼看到它。古巴比伦天文学家可能是第一个研究金星亮度变化的人，这与它的相位有关。许多其他文化都有类似的天文记录，包括现存最古老的玛雅书。
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That's no moon. But you could be forgiven for thinking it was a crescent Moon in the sky. It is a lesser known fact that Venus also has phases. (What about other planets?) The featured image shows Venus seen almost directly between the Sun and the Earth. This happens once every year and a half, and it is like the alignment that happens every month during a new Moon. But the new Moon is dark, while Venus' backlit atmosphere refracts and scatters the sunlight, creating a glowing crescent arc that extends beyond 180 degrees: the tips of this arc are called the "horns". The crescent can be seen with a small telescope or binoculars during twilight, but those with exceptionally acute eyesight may be able to see it with the unaided eye. Ancient Babylonian astronomers may have been the first to study Venus' brightness changes, which are related to its phases. Many other cultures have similar astronomical records, including the oldest surviving Maya book.