Venus, which shines brightly this month as the "Evening Star."
So far 2023 has been the year of Venus. Since January, the closest planet to Earth has been getting higher into the post-sunset night sky, becoming ever-brighter and more majestic. It’s now the third brightest object in the sky—after the Sun and the Moon.
However, its dazzling performance as the bright “Evening Star” begins to unravel this month. After reaching its highest altitude in evening sky on April 28, during May, Venus will gradually sink back into the Sun’s glare. If you’re in the northern latitudes of the northern hemisphere then as well as the bright planet gradually beginning to sink, you’ll also have to put up with a brighter sky as sunset creeps later into the evening.
Here’s what you need to know to see Venus at its brilliant best before it’s too late:
When to look at Venus
To see Venus at its dazzling brightest this month all you have to do is look to the northwest after sunset. Exactly how high it is above the horizon, and therefore how late at night it is visible, depends on your exact location of the planet.
However, everyone on Earth can currently see Venus after the Sun has set, and from most locations it’s visible for at least a few hours. However, the higher it is in the sky, the easier it is to see, so get outside about 45 minutes after sunset just as a deep blue twilight takes hold. It is then that a bright Venus will most impress you.
How to look at Venus this month
The great thing about Venus gazing is that you don't need any obstacle equipment whatsoever. In fact, in binoculars, it looks a little more than a bright white star, and only in telescopes can you see the changing phases of Venus. It’s currently a little more than half-lit, and will reach half-lit—called dichotomy by astronomers—on June 4, 2023.
Four great nights in May 2023 to see Venus tangling with Mars and a crescent Moon.
Venus and the crescent Moon in May 2023
The earlier you look for Venus during May, the higher it will be, but there are a few occasions during the month when the site will be at its most picturesque. On May 22, a slender crescent Moon will hang just below Venus. That will be a beautiful sight. The following evening, a slightly fatter crescent Moon will sit just above Venus. Equally beautiful! Be outside with a clear view to the northwestern sky after sunset, and you should be able to get both a good view with the naked eye and even a half-decent image with a smartphone.
The best time to look at Venus in 2023
Although it’s going to be at its highest above the western horizon during May 2023, Venus will get slightly brighter in June. It will reach its absolute brightest—about -4.7 magnitude—during early July when it’s barely a crescent, though by then it will set just half an hour or less after sunset.
Venus will then quickly sink back into the Sun’s glare, crossing the near-side of the Sun—something called inferior conjunction by stargazers—on August 13, 2023. That’s something that Venus appears to do every 19 months. It will then re-emerge as the pre-dawn “Morning Star” in October.
Understanding the orbit of Venus
Planet-spotting is all about perspective. From where we are in our orbit of the Sun the closest planet to us, Venus, appears to ping back and forth from the Sun’s glare into the post-sunset (called the “Evening Star” phase) or pre-sunrise (called the “Morning Star” phase) night sky. After all, it’s an inner planet to Earth, so it can never be seen moving across the entire night sky, as the outer planets do. In fact, from Earth, Venus appears to have an eight-year cycle in which it orbits the Sun 13 times.
Wishing you clear skies and eyes.
