2020-2021: Brilliant Planet Venus as a Morning Star

This appearance of Venus is finished.

Venus and Moon, December 11, 2020

Brilliant Morning Star Venus shines brightly in the morning sky during 2020 and early 2021.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Click here for our semi-technical article about the apparition of Venus during 2020-2021.

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Slideshow of Venus images

Articles:

Venus makes a grand entrance into the morning sky after its inferior conjunction on June 3, 2020, at 12:44 p.m. CDT. It races into the morning sky and a week after conjunction it rises at Civil Twilight, 32 minutes before sunrise. After mid-June, Venus gleams from low in the east-northeast sky during mid-twilight. By early July, Venus is at its greatest brightness, rises before the beginning of twilight, and appears higher in the sky as sunrise approaches.

During July, Venus moves through the Hyades, with an Aldebaran conjunction on July 12. Watch the planet move through the star cluster with a binocular, during several mornings leading up to the Venus – Aldebaran conjunction.

On July 19, the lunar crescent and five planets are simultaneously spread across the sky with Jupiter low in the western sky and Mercury low in the eastern sky. Venus, Mars, and Saturn are scattered between them.

During August, Venus leaves Taurus, passes through the club and arm area of Orion and into Gemini. On August 15, see the moon join Venus.

Other highlights of the Venus apparition include a grouping with the Beehive cluster in mid-September that includes the crescent moon on September 14; two mornings in October when Venus is about 0.5° from Regulus; a widely spaced Venus – Spica conjunction during mid-November; and an extremely close conjunction with Beta Scorpii in December. Mercury makes an appearance during November, but the gaps with Venus are very wide. At the end of the apparition, Venus passes Mercury, Saturn, and Jupiter. Although they are near the sun, attempt to view the Venus – Jupiter Epoch (close) Conjunction during the day.

Venus reaches its superior conjunction on March 26, 2021, then slowly moves into the evening sky.

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One thought on “2020-2021: Brilliant Planet Venus as a Morning Star”

  1. This viewer observes a very brilliant morning star, Venus, at approximately 05:30 AM eastern daylight time from his home in the northern Virginia county of Fauquier.

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