Venus at Greatest Western Elongation 2023

On this day, Venus reaches its greatest western elongation of 46.4 degrees from the Sun. This is the best time to observe Venus, when it is at its highest point above the horizon in the morning. Look for a bright, prominent dot in the eastern sky just before sunrise – that is Venus.

Venus is the second planet from the Sun and the closest planet to Earth in the Solar System. It is a rocky planet similar to Earth in size, mass and composition. For this reason Venus is often called Earth’s “twin”, although the conditions on its surface are completely different.

Venus is the third brightest object in the sky, after the Sun and the Moon. Because it orbits inside Earth’s orbit, it always appears close to the Sun, just before sunrise or just after sunset. That is why it has long been known as the “Morning Star” or the “Evening Star”, depending on when it appears.

Elongation is the angle between the Sun and a planet as seen from Earth. For planets orbiting inside Earth’s orbit, such as Venus and Mercury, western elongation occurs when the planet is west of the Sun on the celestial sphere, which means it appears in the eastern sky before dawn.

If you love astronomy, don’t miss this special occasion to enjoy the beauty of the sky!