EarthSky News - Dec 4 - Top Stories This Week

December 4 Top Stories This Week by:

See it!  Moon sweeps past Venus    The moon passed Venus this weekend, and there's more to come. Wonderful photos here! Thanks to all who submitted. Tonight … Moon and Mars closest Use the moon to find Mars this evening. Bright Venus is nearby. December guide to the bright planets Mercury, Venus and Mars at nightfall. Jupiter reigns as the sole morning planet. First images from ExoMars mission It was meant to be a test, but the images are spectacular. 2016-17 winter outlook for US NOAA's outlook calls for warmer drier South, cooler wetter North. What would Earth be like with no moon? Earth without its moon would be a very different world indeed. Night-shining clouds over Antarctica Spacecraft's view of noctilucent clouds above Earth's southernmost continent. The circadian rhythm of our microbes Our gut microbes have their own circadian rhythm. What's the hottest Earth has ever been? Earth's hottest periods occurred before humans existed.

EarthSky Tees Are Back You've got to see the new long sleeved tees and hoodies! Thanks as always for the continued support, it means the world to us. Click here to pre-order now and receive before Christmas.

Tonight ... Moon and Mars closest Over the coming month, watch day by day, as the gap on our sky's dome between Mars and Venus shrinks. Mars and Venus will be close together in the evening sky in late January and early February 2017.

See it!  Moon sweeps past Venus    Peter Lowenstein in Mutare, Zimbabwe wrote on December 3: "Venus and the moon were flanked by broad sunset crepuscular ray, which rose almost to the same level." More photos here. Submit your photo to EarthSky here!

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The Guardian today: Top Tories: hard Brexit stance could lose us next election

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the guardian today Sunday 04 Dec 2016 Headlines More » Top Tories: hard Brexit stance could lose us next election Ex-ministers reject 'Ukip-lite' views and urge Theresa May to spell out her EU strategy Football abuse scandal grows with 55 clubs now involved Donald Trump's Taiwan call exposes his inexperience, China state media say Fidel Castro's name will never appear on a Cuba monument, says brother Raúl Sick children moved as NHS intensive care units run out of beds Pennsylvania recount: Jill Stein to take fight to federal court after $1m bond set Most viewed in last 24 hours More » Last Tango in Paris director suggests Maria Schneider 'butter rape' scene not consensual Bernardo Bertolucci sparks outrage after 2013 interview surfaces in which he says he 'wanted her reaction as a girl, not as an actress' Brexit arrogance exposes ineptitude of Tory elite | Kevin McKenna Man arrested over tweet urging someone to 'Jo Cox' MP Anna Soubry Brexit chaos could change the political map of Britain Islamist, gay man, teacher: TV housemates bid to show the diversity of British Muslims Caitlin Moran: 'I brought the Observer staff a suitcase of vomit, and they gave me a job' Sport More » England see off Australia's fast start to establish themselves at No2 | Andy Bull Pep Guardiola sorry for City fracas but refuses to blame Sergio Agüero Football is listening on child abuse but took far too long to do so | Daniel Taylor Comment is free More » Tories must publish Brexit plan or there's zero chance of a good deal | Keir Starmer How our laws inspired Trump's attack on free speech | Nick Cohen Small earthquake in south-west London. Full tremors yet to be felt | Andrew Rawnsley Culture More » The Weeknd: 'Drugs were a crutch for me' Full stream ahead? The brave new world of cinemagoing Why is the Turner prize failing to engage with politics? Business More » The grim truth of Chinese factories producing the west's Christmas toys Opec doesn't hold all the cards, even after its oil price deal Technology More » The trolling of Elon Musk: how US conservatives are attacking green tech Airbnb regulation deal with London and Amsterdam marks dramatic policy shift Travel More » Hydra: a pilgrmage to Leonard Cohen's Greek island retreat Savour Sri Lanka: sights, sunshine and beaches – away from the crowds Life and style More » Christmas gift guide 2016 Osteria Francescana: does the world's best restaurant live up to the hype? Eyewitness picture of the day More » Schoolgirls hold a photograph of Cuba's former president Fidel Castro as they wait for his ashes to pass during a three-day journey to the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba. Reuters Football Comment is free Environment Get more Guardian emails

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