After superior conjunction (March 26, 2021), Venus slowly emerges into the western evening sky during bright twilight. The closest Venus – moon grouping occurs on May 12. Venus is moving eastward in Taurus.
Venus as an Evening Star, semi-technical summary
On April 19, Venus sets at Civil Twilight, when the sun is only 6° below the horizon at 30 minutes after sunset. During the next few evenings, begin looking for Venus about 2° above the west-northwest horizon at about 20 minutes after sunset. Use a binocular to first locate it. It is making its first evening appearance of this apparition.
On May 12, Venus – about 5° up in the west-northwest – is 1.2° to the right of the thin crescent moon. This is the closest Venus – moon grouping for this apparition.
A few nights later, on May 16, Venus – 6.0° up in the west-northwest – is 5.7° to the upper right of Aldebaran. This is a challenging observation as the star is only 3.0° in altitude. Use a binocular to see the scene.
On May 21, Venus sets at Nautical Twilight, when the sun is 12° below the horizon at 74 minutes after sunset.
Venus as an Evening Star Article
LATEST ARTICLES
- 2023, October 20: Jupiter’s Double Shadows, Mercury at Superior Conjunction
October 20: After midnight, Jupiter’s moons’ shadows dance across the cloud tops. Mercury is at superior conjunction. - 2023, October 19: Poured Moon, See Planet Uranus
October 19: Sagittarius seems to pour the moon into the sky this evening. Find Uranus with a binocular. - 2023, October 18: Moon-Antares Conjunction, Bright Planets
October 18, 2023: The moon is near Antares after sunset. Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn are in the sky during the nighttime hours. - 2023, October 17: Scorpion Moon
October 17, 2023: The crescent moon is with Scorpius during evening twilight. Venus and Jupiter gleam from the predawn sky. - 2023, October 16: Venus in Starry Conjunction
October 16, 2023: Venus passes a star in Leo before sunrise. A crescent moon is low in the western sky during evening twilight.
