Venus to Shine Brightest in Sky Next to Crescent Moon on April 28, Here's How And When You Can Watch The Evening Star At Its Best
If you look at the night sky regularly, then you'd have seen a particular star shining brightly near the moon. It is the planet of Venus. And if you haven't had the chance yet, then you can still check it out today and tomorrow. On April 28, Venus will be at its brightest.
Do you regularly look up to the sky and admire the moon and stars? If you have been seeing this week, then you'd have seen a particular star shining brightly near the moon. It is the planet of Venus. And if you haven't had the chance yet, then you can still check it out today and tomorrow. On April 28, Venus will be at its brightest. So if looking at the planets fancy you, then don't forget to check out the sky in the next two days. We tell you more, about how and when you can see this evening star. Venus has been visible since the start of the month and the planet also had a rare cosmic hug when it met with the Pleiades which is a constellation, also known as the "Seven Sisters."
Did you know that Venus is one of the brightest objects in the night sky? And given the current night sky, it is the second brightest object, only after the moon. It is also the closest planet to the Earth and the thick clouds around reflect most of the sunlight that falls on it, thus it appears brighter even on a normal day. But it will be at its brightest on April 28 and then go on to become dimmer. On April 26, the planet was in close conjunction with the moon. And it continues to shine bright for the next two days. At its brightest point, the planet is almost three times as bright as it is when it's at its dimmest. Venus and Moon Conjunction Photos Are Going Viral, Check The Beautiful Pictures!
How and When to Watch Venus in The Night Sky?
As we mentioned earlier, Venus is currently the brightest object only next to the moon. So if you look up to the moon and see a bright star, that is Venus. If you have a low range telescope, you can watch it a little more clearly, probably see the shape of the planet, appearing like a crescent. Even a telephoto lens may help you get a better view. The brightest point in the sky would be 9 PM EST, ie 6 AM IST.
Venus will be shining at a magnitude of -4.7. (Magnitude is a measurement of brightness used by astronomers to denote brighter objects. Negative numbers denote exceptionally bright objects.) So on April 28, Venus is said to outdo even Sirius the brightest star in Earth's night sky! At the end of this week, the planet will start dimming as it moves away from the sun's glare and will become invisible.
Venus will be very easily visible to the naked eye, so we hope you get a peek out of your window or balcony and just find for the moon. Alternatively, you can go to your terrace and have a clearer look.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2020 03:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).