Venus has been dominating the evening sky for weeks but only now does it reach its brightest. On Friday 7 July, the planet’s cloud tops will be reflecting so much sunlight that from a perfectly dark location, it may even cast shadows.
The chart shows the view looking west from London at 21.30BST on 7 July. Venus will be low but unmistakable in the gathering twilight. No stars will be visible at this time, but the sun will have set. This is a last hurrah for the planet because as the month progresses, it will drop lower and lower into the dusk sky, becoming more difficult to see. Venus is currently setting about one and three quarter hours after the sun but by the end of the month, the pair will be dipping below the horizon at approximately the same time. Hence, Venus will be lost from the evening sky as it passes between Earth and the sun. It will then reappear as a glorious morning object, beginning mid-August.
Venus is easier to see from the southern hemisphere, appearing in a totally dark sky, with the added bonus that Mercury will rise to join it later this month.
