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image credit & copyright: Vikas Chander



a crescent Moon is about to sink under the western horizon in this sea and night skyscape

the atmospheric photo was taken on september 11, 2018, from the desert shore along the Skeleton Coast of Namibia

so close to moonset, the moonlight is reddened and dimmed by the low, long line-of-sight across the Atlantic

but near the center of the frame Venus still shines brightly, its light reflected in calm ocean waters

the celestial beacon above the brilliant evening star is bright planet Jupiter

Namibia's Skeleton Coast was so named for the many seal and whale bones that were once strewn along the shoreline

in more recent times it's better known for shipwrecks





























in apod.nasa.gov/apod