Hello May, Goodbye Venus

This month the Evening Star will dazzle as it begins its march toward the horizon (and across the sun).  Venus will be at its brightest this week, reaching a magnitude of -4.7.  The planet is making its way closer to earth, and will reveal its slim illuminated moon-like crescent phase in binoculars or a small telescope. Venus is soon to become the "Morning Star".

The Evening Star

As I was driving home last night around 7:30 PM, I was admiring how clear the sky was. Looking west, I immediately spotted Venus, the brightest object in the sky. When Venus is visible at night (now through early summer), it's called the Evening Star. Just look west after the Sun sets and you can't miss her - beautiful. Venus has phases like the moon, and with a telescope you can view this. Currently, Venus is at full phase, so you'll just see a bright disk. By late July Venus will still be high in the sky around 9 PM, and she'll be at about half phase - something to check out if you can.