VENUS. See you this Sunday, July 9, 2023, at nightfall, to admire the planet Venus with the naked eye. For about an hour and a half, the Evening Star will be at its peak brightness.
[Updated July 9, 2023 5:37 PM] This Sunday, July 9, 2023, Venus will shine brightly and will be visible to the naked eye from sunset. If the Evening Star has the distinction of being the brightest in the sky every night, it will be particularly so this Sunday evening because it must reach its peak of luminosity. It will be visible for more than an hour, between approximately 9:50 p.m. and 11 p.m.
This phenomenon occurs due to two factors. First because Venus is very close to the sun. It lies between Mercury and Earth and is therefore the second closest planet to the sun. Then because its atmosphere is filled with clear clouds which cause a strong reflection of the sun’s rays. And that’s what allows him to send a large light source back to Earth. Sunday evening, astronomy enthusiasts will be able to admire the planet nicknamed “the false twin of the Earth” without even having equipment.
Venus will be visible in the evening sky until the end of July 2023. It was at its highest point in the sky in May and is gradually descending towards the horizon. It will then be necessary to wait until the second half of August 2023 to see it reappear. This time, it is towards the east that you will have to turn to admire the evening star in the early morning.
Venus is so bright that it is easy to spot in the sky, even if night has not yet fallen or the sun has already risen. You can therefore admire the Evening Star, as it is nicknamed, with the naked eye without any difficulty. Venus closely follows the course of the sun in the sky. Depending on the period, it appears rather in the evening or rather in the morning.
If you have an amateur telescope, you can try to observe Venus through it, but be aware that depending on the day this planet can be so bright that it is sometimes difficult to observe anything other than a light spot. You can place a moon filter on your lens to lessen this effect.
You may also be disappointed if you hope to make out the surface of Venus. This planet is surrounded by thick clouds which make its observation particularly thankless.
Often compared to Earth, especially because of its size, Venus is nevertheless a very curious planet. A barren world of extreme heat and pressure, Venus is best known for its nickname, Evening Star.
It is also a particularly slow planet, which takes longer to go around itself than to go around the Sun. The latter brings him a large amount of energy, which allows him to sparkle more than the brightest stars in the sky, hence his famous nickname.
But Venus is also a planet that could have been very similar to ours. Often referred to as “Earth’s twin”, it has many similarities to our world, but has evolved very differently. This fate intrigues many astronomers who now seek to unravel the mysteries of Venus.
Thanks to its position very close to the Sun and its atmosphere which reflects the light it receives, Venus is the brightest star in the sky. It appears before all the stars in the sky and is the last star to disappear when the sun rises in the morning. This planet has therefore long been confused with a particularly luminous star. It is for this reason that it served as a benchmark for the shepherds who evaluated the time that passes thanks to it.
