It's the number one question I get right now. Often confused with the bright landing lights of an airplane, the planet Venus is extremely bright in the early evening. Look for the brightest star-like object setting in the west after dark. If you have a telescope, you can see that the planet Venus goes through phases, just like our moon does. This is due to the changing position of the planet vs. the sun as seen from our location. Watch it over a period of weeks. As with the moon, Venus goes through a crescent phase to full and back to crescent. It's a beautiful sight. Unfortunately that beauty doesn't stand up to close scrutiny. Venus has a corrosive atmosphere that is hot enough to melt lead and the atmospheric pressure is about ninety times that of Earth. It's definitely not a vacation paradise...but I do enjoy the view from a distance, don't you?
(Note-at times the direction we look to see Venus is extremely close to the sun. Never point a telescope at the sun, or close to the sun. You can cause serious and permanent damage to your eye!!)
Star Chart by Starry Night Pro copyright IMAGINOVA
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