What’s the really bright light in the morning sky? Venus is shining brightly before sunrise in the … [+]
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If you’ve been up early recently you’ll have noticed an insanely bright object in the eastern pre-dawn sky.
Is it the North Star? The International Space Station? A UFO? No!
It’s not a star or a spaceship, but a planet. The closest planet to our own and always the brightest planet we can see, Venus is close to as bright as it ever gets.
Look to the southeast from about an hour before sunrise and you’ll easily see Venus shining at a magnitude of -xxx in the southeastern dawn sky.
That wasn’t the case a week or two ago, which is why you may have just noticed the bright light in the last few days and wondered what it is.
Venus is always the third brightest object in the night sky after the Sun and the Moon. It’s so bright that you can still see it for a short time after sunrise. However, it won’t get as bright as it is this month again until mid- 2023.
When and where to see Venus in conjunction with Mars
On Monday, February 21, 2022 the two planets that get closest to Earth will appear to be about 6 degrees from each other. Look to the southeast and you’ll easily see Venus, with a pair of binoculars allowing you to see the much dimmer Mars to the lower right, but in the same field of view.
However, you’ll be able to see the two planets close to each other until early March.
When and where to see Venus, Mars and the Moon
On Friday, February 27, 2022 the two planets will be joined by a 15%-illuminated crescent Moon. That’s arguably an even more beautiful sight than Venus and Mars appearing close to one another.
It its current apparition Venus is known as the “Morning Star,” having transitioned from being a post-sunset “Evening Star” in early January 2022.
The good news is that Venus is going to be hanging around as a bright pre-dawn object through summer.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
