March 2025: Evening Star Venus appears to drop from the evening sky, pass Earth, and emerge from bright sunlight into the morning sky as the Morning Star.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Venus, Evening to Morning
Venus rapidly shifts from the evening sky to the morning sky. Watch it seem to drop into bright evening twilight and then emerge from bright sunlight into the morning sky.
As the month opens, Venus shines brightly in the western sky after nightfall. It outshines all starlike bodies. During early March, the planet rapidly leaves the western sky, as if it were falling in slow motion.
On March 1st, Venus sets 160 minutes after sundown. Setting about 6 minutes earlier each evening compared to sunset, the Evening Star sets 90 minutes after sundown at mid-month.
Venus and Mercury are joined by the moon on March 1st. Step outside at 45 minutes after nightfall. The brilliant planet is over 20° up in the west, 6.7° to the upper right of the crescent moon, 5% illuminated, and 14.4° above Mercury, standing over 6° above the horizon.
Telescopic Views
Through a telescope, the planet shows an evening crescent phase which is 14% illuminated.
By mid-month, the planet’s size grows nearly 20% and the phase decreases to a razor-thin 3% illumination.
Mercury Joins Venus
As Venus leaves the evening sky, Mercury enters the western sky for its best evening appearance of the year and is at its widest separation from the sun, known as the greatest elongation. On March 8th, Venus is nearly 15° above the western horizon at 45 minutes after sunset, 6.6° to Mercury’s upper right.
Four nights later, Mercury passes 5.5° to Venus’ lower left in a wide conjunction. At 30 minutes after sunset, Venus is 11° above the western horizon.
Use a binocular to see Mercury in the same field with Venus. Mercury’s brightness fades as it recedes into brighter sunlight. Look carefully for it at this level of twilight.
Inferior Conjunction
Venus overtakes Earth, passing between our world and the sun on March 22nd, known as inferior conjunction.
Venus, Morning Star
Just four mornings later, the planet is nearly 4° up in the east-northeast at 30 minutes before sunrise. On this morning, the crescent moon, 13% illuminated, is 7° up in the east-southeast less than 40° to Venus’ right. Find a clear horizon looking toward the eastern sky. The next morning, the moon is lower and over 35° to the Morning Star’s right.
By month’s end Venus rises over and hour before sunrise in the east-northeast. Thirty minutes before sunrise, the Morning Star is over 5° above the horizon and easily visible without an optical assist.
During early March, watch Venus appear noticeably lower in the sky and then reappear in the morning sky at month’s end.
Venus continues in the eastern sky as the Morning Star for the remainder of the year.
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