How can light pollution inadvertently aid urban dwellers in clearly identifying a bright planet near the Moon?
Answer
It suppresses dimmer stars, making the planet the undeniable bright object
In urban environments, light pollution washes out dimmer stars. This suppression of the background competition often makes the steady light of a very bright planet, like Venus or Jupiter, stand out even more clearly next to the Moon.
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Venus reaches its greatest brightness near the Moon (21 to 27 April)
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