Venus Returns to the Evening Sky
After what essentially felt like a winter break, Venus has made a triumphant return to the night sky. Since the start of December, it had been out of sight, but now it’s fully visible again. This brilliant planet, known for its dazzling presence, has transitioned from being a morning object in 2025 to becoming a prominent “evening star” over the next five months. It will be a regular feature of the western sky during this time.
Venus orbits the sun in a nearly circular path, completing 13 orbits in 8 Earth years. From our perspective on Earth, it appears to make five circuits around the sky. Each of these 8-year cycles, which were significant to ancient civilizations such as the Mayans and Babylonians, repeats phenomena that occurred in previous cycles. For instance, 2026 mirrors the events of 2018, with similar dates and patterns.
Venus reached superior conjunction on January 6, meaning it appeared behind the sun from Earth’s viewpoint. Until mid-February, it was invisible due to the sun’s glare. However, by early March, it began moving eastward, gradually distancing itself from the sun. During March, it climbed out of the evening twilight, becoming the brightest “star” in the sky. The time between sunset and when Venus disappeared increased from about an hour to almost 100 minutes. By the end of March, it set after astronomical twilight, appearing in a completely dark sky until late August.
A Bonus: Finding Uranus and the Pleiades
On April 23, Venus can help locate the planet Uranus. The two planets will be just three-quarters of a degree apart, with Venus shining at magnitude -3.9 compared to Uranus’s magnitude +5.8. This close approach offers an excellent opportunity to spot Uranus in a small telescope without needing a sky map. Uranus appears as a greenish dot in good binoculars or a small telescope. It is best viewed about 75 minutes after sunset, though the pair will be low on the horizon, only about 10 degrees above the west-northwest direction.
Additionally, on the same evening, Venus will pass near the famous Pleiades star cluster, about 3½ degrees to their lower left. This creates a beautiful sight in binoculars, where all three objects—Venus, Uranus, and the Pleiades—can fit in the field of view of most standard 7-power binoculars.
A June Summit Meeting
As the weeks go by, Venus rises higher each evening, becoming a fixture in the western sky from early spring through mid-summer. By June, it will stand nearly 30 degrees above the sunset horizon and set up to 2 hours and 40 minutes after the sun. At this time, the ecliptic—the apparent path of the sun, moon, and planets—will be nearly vertical relative to the western horizon for observers in northern latitudes.
In June, Venus will be part of a celestial gathering, as three planets and the moon create a stunning display. One hour after sunset on June 9, Venus will appear alongside Jupiter, separated by only 1.8 degrees. On June 16, a slender crescent moon will be to the lower right of Jupiter, while Mercury floats below the moon. The following evening, the lunar crescent passes to the left of Venus. Meanwhile, the stars Pollux and Castor, marking the heads of Gemini the Twins, will be nearby.
On July 9, Venus will pass less than one degree above Regulus, the brightest star in Leo. Seven days later, on July 17, Venus and a slender crescent moon will form an eye-catching sight in the western sky.
A Slow Rise to Prominence; Then a Rapid Exit
Venus reaches its greatest elongation—its maximum angular distance from the sun—on August 15, at 46 degrees to the east. However, it will be about 10 degrees lower than it was in late spring. It will be brightest near the end of summer, reaching its peak brilliance on September 18 with a magnitude of –4.8. At that time, it will be only 10 degrees high at sunset and will set just over an hour after the sun. As September ends, Venus will rapidly sink lower each night, appearing as a large, slender crescent. By mid-northern latitudes, it will be very low in the west-southwest shortly after sunset.
By October, Venus will have vanished from view, passing inferior conjunction on October 24.
Morning “Night Light”
In November, Venus will reappear in the predawn eastern sky, reaching its highest point in the morning skies of December. If you look toward the east-southeast about an hour before sunrise on November 7, you’ll see a narrow crescent moon passing below Venus, along with the bluish star Spica in Virgo.
Christmas 2026 will see Venus mimic the Star of Bethlehem, appearing as a glorious “star in the east” before sunrise.
Observing Venus Through a Telescope
From now until October, repeated observations of Venus with a small telescope will reveal its full range of phases and disk sizes. Currently, it appears almost full (93% illuminated), with a tiny, dazzling gibbous disk. By July 17, it will start to become noticeably less gibbous. On August 12, it will reach dichotomy, displaying a half-moon shape. For the rest of the year, it will appear as a large crescent as it swings closer to Earth.
Those using telescopes will notice that while the Earth-Venus distance decreases, the apparent size of Venus’ disk will grow, doubling by August 3. By September 23, when it has doubled in size again, its large crescent shape should be easily discernible even in 7-power binoculars.
If you’re looking for equipment to observe the night sky, guides on the best binocular deals and the best telescope deals can help. Additionally, our recommendations for the best cameras for astrophotography and the best lenses for astrophotography can prepare you for the next major skywatching event.
Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York’s Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, Sky and Telescope, The Old Farmer’s Almanac, and other publications.
