Venus is low in the western sky after sunset. Find a clear horizon to see it. Forty-five minutes after sunset, the brilliant planet is very low in the sky. Venus begins this observing sequence between the horns of Taurus then steps into Gemini. The moon joins the bright planet on June 11. Venus passes Pollux on June 21.
Use a binocular to track it through the starfields.
On May 27, Venus is 1.2° to the lower right of Mercury. Venus is slightly over 5° above the west-northwest horizon. Use a binocular. You might be able to see Elnath, to the upper right of Venus and Zeta Tauri (ζ Tau) to the planet’s upper left.
The planet is setting at its most northerly azimuth, 304°. This continues through June 14, then the planet begins to set farther southward.
On the next evening May 28, Venus is 0.4° to the upper right of Mercury and above a line that connects Elnath and Zeta Tauri.
Venus moves into Gemini on June 2 and begins to pass the dimmer stars of the constellation. For those wanting to track the planet’s conjunctions in Gemini with a binocular, they are summarized here.
The crescent moon joins Venus on June 11. The lunar slice is 2.8° to the lower right of Venus. Forty-five minutes after sunset, the pair is only about 7° up in the west-northwest.
Ten days later (June 21), Venus passes 5.2° to the lower left of Pollux. The brilliant planet is over 8° in altitude in the west-northwest about 45 minutes after sunset.
Venus as an Evening Star Article
2021, April 29: Evening Star Venus, Mercury, Mars in Gemini
April 29, 2021: Evening Star Venus and bright Mercury are in the west-northwest during bright twilight. As the sky darkens, Mars is at the feet of Gemini in the western sky. Through a binocular the Red Planet is above the star cluster Messier 35.
2021, April 29: Morning Planets Jupiter, Saturn, Bright Moon
April 29, 2021: The bright moon is in the southwest before sunrise, near the star Antares. The morning planets, Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast. The planets are 15.0° apart.
2021, April 28: Evening Star Venus, Mercury, Mars, Moon
April 28, 2021: Evening Star Venus and bright Mercury are low in the west-northwest during bright evening twilight. Later during the evening, Mars is at the feet of Gemini. Use a binocular to spot the star cluster Messier 35 below the Red Planet. Near midnight, the moon is in the southeast near Antares.
2021, April 28: Morning Moon in Pincers, Jupiter Saturn
Advertisements April 28, 2021: This morning the bright moon appears to be caught in the pincers of the Scorpion and near the creature’s forehead. Bright morning planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. by Jeffrey L. Hunt Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 5:51 a.m. CDT; Sunset, 7:46 p.m. CDT. Check local sources for sunrise… Read More ›
2021, April 27: Evening Star Venus, Mercury, Mars, Moon in Pincers
April 27, 2021: Evening Star Venus and Mercury climb into the evening sky in the west-northwest after sunset. In a darker sky, Mars marches eastward in Gemini, near the feet of the Twins. Look for the moon caught in the pincers of the Scorpion.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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