{"id":17852,"date":"2020-03-04T12:47:44","date_gmt":"2020-03-04T11:47:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stelvision.com\/astro\/?page_id=17852"},"modified":"2025-01-20T10:23:56","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T09:23:56","slug":"observing-venus-the-morning-and-evening-star","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.stelvision.com\/astro\/observing-venus-the-morning-and-evening-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Observing Venus, the Morning and Evening Star"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You have most likely noticed some evenings in the west and some mornings in the east the bright planet of Venus. A genuine night-light of the sky, this celestial body shines brighter than any other star or planet\u2014to such an extent that some confuse it for a UFO! Often called the Morning Star or the Evening Star although it is indeed a planet, Venus gets its name from the Roman goddess of love and beauty. It truly fascinates and captivates, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n

\"Photo

Venus\u2019 brightness makes it easy to spot.<\/strong>
Photo: Alain Mathiot<\/small><\/p><\/div>\n

Venus: the brightest celestial object after the Moon and the Sun!<\/h2>\n

Venus is radiantly illuminated by its relatively close neighbor, the Sun. It is completely shrouded by a layer of clouds that reflect a large portion of the light the planet receives, thus explaining its unique shine.<\/p>\n

For those familiar with the magnitude scale, which is the measure of a celestial body\u2019s brightness, Venus often drops below magnitude -4. This luminosity far exceeds that of Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, with a magnitude of -1.5 (for info, smaller numbers and negatives indicate a strong brightness).<\/p>\n

But be aware! Venus can be confused with another bright planet. Which one is this? Jupiter,\u00a0the largest planet in the Solar System. This planet also dominates the sky\u2019s stars during its visibility periods. However, seeing that it is further away, its brightness does not match that of Venus\u2019.<\/p>\n

Why is Venus called \u00ab\u00a0the Morning Star\u00a0\u00bb or \u00ab\u00a0the Evening Star?\u00a0\u00bb<\/h2>\n

Venus shines so brightly that it is the first \u201cstar\u201d to appear in the sky after the Sun sets, or the last to disappear before the Sun rises. Its orbital position changes, thus causing it to appear at different times of the night throughout the year. In fact, the ancient Greeks and Egyptians thought that Venus was two separate objects!<\/p>\n

It looks like a star with the naked eye, though it is indeed a planet. Unlike stars that emit their own light, Venus reflects the light from the Sun.<\/p>\n

\"Photo

Venus\u2019 brightness dominates dusk or dawn<\/strong>\u00a0
Photo: Thierry Demange, Stelvision Gallery Competition No. 12<\/small><\/p><\/div>\n

Are the Morning Star and the North Star linked in some way?<\/h2>\n

No!<\/strong> The Morning Star has nothing to do with the North Star, which is favored by navigators because it indicates the North. However, the North Star is not very bright.<\/p>\n

What is the best time to observe Venus?<\/h2>\n

Venus is the second planet closest to the Sun, while Earth is the third. This arrangement makes it impossible for us to see Venus in the middle of the night. This planet never ventures very far from the Sun during its orbit, and can therefore only be seen at dusk or dawn.<\/p>\n

Every year, there is a period or two of a few months which make it possible to observe Venus in the best conditions:<\/p>\n