Venus is the brightest natural object in our sky after the moon and the sun. If you’ve looked out the window or enjoyed the spring air after sunset over the last month-plus, you’ve probably seen it, even if you didn’t know you were seeing it. Early in the evening, it’s been radiant in the western sky. It even spent a little time hanging around the crescent moon late in March.
Maybe you thought it looked extra spectacular when glimpsed casually. Well, that’s not just your imagination running wild after two months largely spent inside your own home. We’re slowly approaching the night when Venus will be the brightest it’s going to be in 2020. That moment arrives the night of April 27, right around 9pm EST.
That evening, the planet hits its greatest illuminated extent, a fancy way of saying its really damn bright. This is the juncture when “the illuminated portion of Venus covers the greatest square area of the sky’s dome,” writes EarthSky. When it’s at its brightest for the year, Venus is almost three times as bright as it is when it’s at its dimmest.
To find the planet without an app, look to the west after sunset no matter where you are. It’ll be the brilliantly illuminated “star.” If you have clear weather, it’ll be hard to miss.
