Can Venus and the Full Moon Appear Near Each Other in the Night Sky?

-- Jon | October 6, 2020

Question:

How is it possible to see Venus and the full moon near each other, as we do in the morning?
If the moon is full, then it is on the far side of the Sun from earth, i.e. the Sun, earth and the moon are more or less lined up in that order.
Venus, being closer to the sun, would always be more than 90 degrees off that line, and not near the moon, as seen from Earth.
What am I missing?

-- Jon

Answer:

Exactly for the reasons you describe, Venus and the Full Moon do not appear near each other in the night sky. Venus appears either in the morning or evening sky, were one can sometimes also find a crescent Moon (either just before or after New Moon), but not a Full Moon.

-- Jeff Mangum

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