2025 January 1-31: Venus’ Winter Show

January 1-31, 2025:  Brilliant Venus puts on a winter show during January.  Venus appears with the moon and Saturn after sundown as it noticeably brightens.

2023, May 22: Brilliant Venus and the crescent moon, with earthshine,
Photo Caption – 2023, May 22: Brilliant Venus and the crescent moon, with earthshine,

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Events are described relative to sunset.  Find sunset times for the month in local sources.

Venus Winter Show

During January, Brilliant Venus stands in the southwestern sky after sunset putting on a winter show. It brightens and appears higher in the sky after sunset.  On New Year’s Day, the Evening Star sets nearly four hours after sunset.

Venus leads a bright four-planet display that is visible during the evening from the west-southwest to the east-northeast that includes the Evening Star, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars.  On the 1st this planetary quartet spans over 152°.

2024 2025 Venus Evening Star
Chart Caption – 2025, January 3: A pretty Venus-Moon conjunction occurs. Saturn is above them.

The moon reenters the western evening sky on the 1st in a new lunation that started on December 30th.  Watch the moon wax as it appears farther eastward each evening.  At 45 minutes after sundown on the 3rd, Venus stands nearly 30° above the southwest horizon, 3.5° to the moon’s lower right.  Saturn is nearly 14° to Venus’ upper left. The next evening the lunar crescent is to Saturn’s upper left.  For European sky watchers, the moon occults or eclipses the planet.

Venus-Saturn Conjunction

2024 2025 Venus Evening Star
Chart Caption – 2025, January 18: A Venus-Saturn conjunction. The gap between the planets is 2.2°.

As Venus steps eastward through Aquarius, it closes a gap to Saturn that spans 15.8° on the 1st.  On the 5th, the gap closes to 10.0°, and it is reduced to 4.7° on the 13th.  Venus passes 2.2° to the Ring Wonder’s upper right on the 18th, though Venus and Saturn are nearly 900 million miles apart in space.  The four evening planets span nearly 129°. This gap closes somewhat during the remainder of the month as Saturn creeps eastward and Mars retrogrades in front of Gemini.

Venus Phases

Venus' Phases
Image Caption – Venus; phases

Venus reaches greatest elongation on the 9th, showing an evening half-full moon through the telescope.  The planet is 47.2° from the sun, setting 3 hours, 58 minutes after nightfall.

During the month through a telescope, the planet’s phase decreases from a slight evening gibbous phase, 55% illuminated, to an evening crescent, 38% lit.  The planet’s apparent diameter increases nearly 50% as Venus’ distance to Earth decreases from 68 million miles to 49 million miles. On the 19th, Venus sets four hours after nightfall, its greatest time interval after sunset, displaying a crescent 46% lit.

While Venus overtakes Earth and appears larger, it brightens over 30% during the month.  This is a noticeable effect.  The planet reaches its greatest brightness during February.

Moon nearby at Month’s End

2024 2025 Venus Evening Star
Chart Caption – 2025, January 31: Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon are in the southwest during mid-twilight.

On the 31st, Venus is over 30° above the southwest horizon and 10.7° above Saturn.  The crescent moon, 8% illuminated, is 3.4° to Saturn’s lower right.  This evening Venus sets 3 hours, 53 minutes after the sun. The bright four planets span over 123°.

Step outside during the early evening to see Venus’ winter show.

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