The Faintest Shadow

Over the last few days, I've been ruminating over a very bright object hanging low in the sky in the early twilight hours. At first, I didn't know what the object was- thus I categorized it as a UFO.

(The term UFO doesn't necessarily connote extraterrestrial life; it simply means an unknown flying object. To be fair, the object wasn't flying, but the term is necessarily extended to any unidentified object in the sky. I'm sure that if aliens could make it to Earth (assuming they exist) the ability to hover would not be beyond their capacities.)

In one of my wackier moments, I decided to try and signal the thing with a flashlight in the hopes that it would respond. But alas, the subject of my attentions remained impervious to communication.

After a little research, I discovered the object to be Venus. I always knew this was a possibility, but I had never seen the planet shine so brightly.

More interestingly, perhaps, is the fact that Venus has the ability to cast a shadow on the surface of the Earth. It's that bright. (Other than the Sun and moon, it's the only heavenly body that has this ability.) The trick is to head somewhere really dark and turn your back on the planet. After your eyes adjust, hold your hand up over a piece of white paper and wait for the shadow to appear. It's very faint, but it's there.

I'm attempting to try it tonight- if you're interested in trying it for yourself, it's best to go tonight. By tomorrow, the moon will be appearing in its waxing crescent phase, and thus any shadow you see will be from it.

Granted, this is the kind of thing most people don't enjoy- but I do. I find that the pursuit of rare and quirky events is a goal in and of itself.

If you do try it, let me know- I'm interested to hear if your attempt is successful.