Brilliant Morning Star Venus was visible for the second half of last year in the morning sky. As 2021 opens, the planet is slowly slipping into the sun’s bright twilight.
On January 1, Venus rises nearly 90 minutes before sunrise. By 45 minutes before sunrise, the planet is about 6° in altitude in the southeast. It is over 12° to the lower left of the star Antares. It is necessary to have a clear view of the natural horizon to see the planet.
The planet becomes more challenging to see each morning. It is brilliant and it can be found during bright lighting conditions. Knowing where to look and using a binocular to help finding the planet’s initial location is a way to track the planet in the sky.
Each morning the planet rises about two minutes later. By month’s end, Venus rises 36 minutes before sunlight. It is very low in the southeast as sunrise approaches.
One highlight of the month is the crescent moon’s grouping with Venus. On January 11, 30minutes before sunrise, locate a clear horizon to observe the final visible grouping of the moon and Venus during this Venusian apparition. The razor thin crescent moon is 3.9° to the right of the brilliant planet.
Continue to track the planet in the morning. It passes its superior conjunction – on the far side of the sun – on March 26, 2021. The planet then slowly moves into the evening sky.
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2024, May 11: Sirius Heliacal Setting
May 11, 2024: Sirius makes its last appearance or heliacal setting at the mid-northern latitudes. Mars and Saturn are visible before sunrise, Moon after sundown. - 2024, May 10: Mercury’s Poor Morning View
May 10, 2024: Mercury is difficult to see before sunrise, although Saturn and Mars are easier to locate. The crescent moon is in the west-northwest after sundown. - 2024, May 9: May Evening Earthshine
May 9, 2024: Look for earthshine on the moon’s night portion this evening. Mars and Saturn are morning planets. - 2024, May 8: Mars at Perihelion
2024, May 8: Mars is at Perihelion today, its closest point to the sun. Find it before sunrise in the eastern sky. - 2024, May 7: Mars and Saturn are Morning Planets
May 7, 2024: Shining from the eastern sky before sunrise, Mars and Saturn are morning planets. Look for stars Arcturus and Spica after sundown.
I bike ride going east im the morning before sunrise.
I noticed a bright star that hangs in the sky as the sun rises.
Figured venus, mercury or ISS, but ISS moves way too fast to hold that position.
After reading what is posted here it must be venus.