Have you been asking yourself….”What is that bright star I can see in the evening?”
It’s not a star at all, it’s our neighbouring planet, Venus and it has been making a striking sight on the western horizon. On 23rd September and also on 28th November, Venus is at what is known as “greatest brilliance” and is the brightest it gets for the year.
In September, Venus appears as the “evening star”. In October, we lose sight of Venus in the glare of the Sun. Finally in November, Venus reappears as the “morning star”!
Through a telescope, Venus will appear as a crescent shape. From our position on Earth, Venus has phases just like our Moon. This is because Venus is inside Earth’s orbit, so when it is closest to Earth, we can only see part of the surface of the planet that is illuminated by the Sun’s light.
When and where to look:
From 7pm, 23rd September. Look to the west.
From 4am, 28th November. Look to the east.
Something Interesting:
Ancient astronomers recognised that five “stars” moved quickly and predictably across the night sky. These stars were monitored and tracked and are now known as the five planets visible to the naked eye: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
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There’s always something interesting happening in the night sky and country WA is the best place to catch all the action!