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 25: Mercury-Venus Conjunction, Mars, Bright Moon
April 25, 2021: Mercury passes Evening Star Venus this evening after sunset. Look low in the western sky about 20 minutes after sunset. Mars is marching eastward in Gemini, near the star cluster Messier 35. The bright moon is near Spica.
2021, April 25: Morning Planets, Jupiter, Saturn in Southeast
April 25, 2021: Morning planets Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise. Jupiter is in front of the stars of Aquarius, while Saturn’s starry background is Capricornus.
2021, April 24: Evening Star, Bright Mercury, Venus, Mars, Gibbous Moon
April 24, 2021: Brilliant Evening Star Venus and bright Mercury are entering the evening sky. They are low in the west-northwest during evening twilight. The bright moon is in the southeast in Virgo. Mars moves into Gemini as it approaches the star cluster Messier 35.
2021, April 24: Lunar Occultation, Morning Planets, Jupiter Saturn
April 24, 2021: The bright gibbous moon is near a star in Virgo during the early morning. From parts of the Western Hemisphere, the moon covers the star. Before sunrise, bright morning planets, Jupiter and Saturn are in the southeast before sunrise.
2021, April 23: Evening Star Venus, Mercury, Mars, Moon
April 23, 2021: Evening Star Venus and Mercury are entering the evening sky. They are found very low in the west-northwest after sunset. The bright moon is in the southeastern sky during the early evening. Mars is moving toward the star cluster Messier 35.
Categories: Astronomy, Sky Watching
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