After its beautiful evening apparition in late spring and earlier summer, Venus is now returning to visibility in the morning sky.
You will need a clear eastern horizon to stand any chance of seeing Venus this week, and a keen set of eyes as it will be rising out of the dawn twilight, but the task will get easier as the week and the month progresses. The chart shows the view looking east from London at 5.30 BST on Sunday 27 August 2023 before the sun has risen but with twilight well developed. However, remember never to look at the sun with the naked eye or through an unfiltered optical instrument. It can cause permanent eye damage.
Venus, like the moon, experiences phases. Although these are impossible to see with the naked eye, this week only 6% of its visible surface is illuminated. But it is already outshining the other planets visible in the night sky – the only thing making it difficult to see is the bright twilight. From cities in the southern hemisphere, such as Cape Town, South Africa, or Sydney, Australia, the planet is easier to observe because it appears in much darker morning skies.
