Since January, the closest planet to Earth has been getting higher into the post-sunset night sky, becoming ever-brighter and more majestic. For most of 2023, we saw Venus – the brightest planet – in the west after sunset. Many called it the evening star. The planet Venus is at its peak of visibility in the evening sky this week. Officially, Venus became an 'evening star' on October 22 of last year. Have you noticed the very bright star in the west these past few months? That's the planet Venus. Among the denizens of the night sky, Venus stands out not only for its brightness but also for its unique ability to be visible both in the morning and evening.
The atmosphere is crushing on Venus, and it's so hot lead would melt. But the planet still has a lot in common with Earth. We'll explain. Planet Venus, at peak brilliance in its current evening apparition, reached magnitude -4.47 on July 7. (The lower the magnitude number, the brighter the object.) Mercury is the closest planet to the sun and the smallest planet in the solar system. Here we explore the strange world in more detail. What's that bright star I can see in the morning sky, appearing much brighter than any other star still visible in the early dawn?
Referred to as the lunar occultation of Venus, this phenomenon is similar to an Eclipse and occurs when the Moon is orbiting between Earth and Venus, causing Venus to disappear momentarily. This rare event has fascinated astronomers and stargazers alike, offering a unique opportunity to witness the celestial dance of two of our closest neighbors in the solar system.