Everyone has been asking, "What is that bright star in the West?" It's the Evening Star, Venus.
What is that bright star in the West? It's not a star nor a plane ... it's VENUS! That brilliant star that shines brightly in the west after sunset for a couple hours is the closest planet to Earth.
Venus is often considered the Morning Star or the Evening Star, depending on which time of day it is up and dominating the darkness. For example, during the spring of 2007, Venus will be the most notable object in the evening sky. It shines at a stunning -3.98 magnitude. The only natural objects in the night sky that are brighter than Venus are the Sun and the Moon (Satellites can briefly flare brighter than Venus).
Because Venus is close to Earth, it does not twinkle, as a star does. Its bright white light will hold steady, while if you compare stars in the vicinity, they "twinkle" or seem to waver and even change color.
Venus goes through phases like the Moon because of its position between Earth and the Sun. When it is more of a crescent phase it is closer to us and bigger, and also its angle makes it look farther from the Sun and places it in a darker sky. For these reasons, Venus is brighter in its crescent phase than when it is near full phase! The crescent phases of Venus can be detected through binoculars or a telescope.
Venus can get as bright as magnitude -4.7. In Spring 2007, Venus continues to brighten a little bit every night. Check the observing highlights for this month. Venus will continue to be a stunning sight in the western sky for much of 2007. Through June, Venus and Saturn will get closer and closer until on June 30 when they will sit just 0.7 degrees apart. This will be the nearest pairing of two naked-eye planets for the entire year. It will be an incredible sight without optical aid. But check the view through a telescope, where you can see the phase of Venus and the rings of Saturn in one view. If you are clouded out June 30, July 1 continues the meeting with the planets just .8 degrees apart, and they will slowly pull away from each other every night after that.
By the end of the year Venus will move its bright show into the morning hours and become the "Morning Star."
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