A Wink and a Smile: Venus and Moon Exchange Glances in Night Sky Photo

Venus shines brightly under a crescent moon in this image. Jose Rozada took this photo on the morning on Nov. 11, 2012 from Guarenas, Venezuela. (Image credit: Jose Rozada)

The crescent moon appears to smile at a brilliantly winking Venus in this stunning night sky image.

This image was taken by Jose Rozada on the morning on Nov. 11 from Guarenas, Venezuela.

Venus, the second planet from the sun, is named for the ancient Roman goddess of love and beauty. Venus will shine fairly prominently in the night sky through the end of this year, but will rapidly fall into the sunrise light by the end of January and early February.

The crescent moon can be seen above Venus in this image.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing skywatching photo you'd like to share for a possible story or image gallery, please send it to spacephotos@space.com.

Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.

Nina Sen is a freelance writer and producer who covered night sky photography and astronomy for Space.com. She began writing and producing content for Space.com in 2011 with a focus on story and image production, as well as amazing space photos captured by NASA telescopes and other missions. Her work also includes coverage of amazing images by astrophotographers that showcase the night sky's beauty.