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[Galaxy]

Is it just in my head or what? I view the evening star from Idaho. It seems larger and brighter than I've ever seen it. I've noticed this for the past six months. Is there a reason for this observation on my part? Thanks.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Hi Kathy,

Nice to hear from you.

Venus appears brighter due to it almost full lit side facing us.

Like the Moon, Venus goes thru it's phases and presently, it's on the far side of the Sun, but is almost a "Full Venus".

Venus has gotten bright enough so that even a casual observer with a clear view of the western horizon after sunset cannot help but notice it, and its visibility continues to improve as the month goes on. On March 1st, sunset finds it 27° above the WSW horizon, and it sets 2 1/2 hours after the Sun; by month's end it hovers 34° above the horizon at sunset and stays up for a full 3 hours after sundown.

Although when it's closest to the Earth, Venus's phase is in a crescent, and the amount of light reflected back to us is greatly reduced.

With bright clouds reflecting sunlight and it's almost full phase...you are correct that it is brighter than usual.

Now...

If it's clear in Idaho this evening, you can share your Lunar Eclipse with us all.

[Centaur]

galaxy said:

Is it just in my head or what? I view the evening star from Idaho. It seems larger and brighter than I've ever seen it. I've noticed this for the past six months. Is there a reason for this observation on my part? Thanks.

Cathy, you are probably referring to the planet Venus. It is the bright evening star now seen in the western sky after sunset. Although six months ago it was still a morning star seen low in the eastern sky before sunrise. It passed through Superior Conjunction on the far side of the Sun on 2006 OCT 27, an event that occurs every 1.6 years.

Currently Venus is still far from the Earth in a gibbous phase with 86% of its apparent disk illuminated. During this period it only brightens slightly. It is also growing a little larger in angular diameter, but that would only be apparent in a telescope. The main reasons that it seems brighter than a couple of months ago are that it is now higher in the sky, and it remains there for a while after the sky has darkened. It will actually become its brightest for the current synodic cycle in mid-July when it is a crescent but much closer to Earth.

For a more complete description of Venus’s current evening apparition, see my thread in the Chicago’s Night Sky forum titled Venus as 2006-07 Evening Star: astronomer.proboards23.com/index.cgi?board=NightSky&action=display&thread=1165211568

For my astronomical webpage I’ve created a graphical panorama demonstrating Venus’s position in the sky 30 minutes after sunset throughout its current evening apparition: www.curtrenz.com/astronomical.html

Enjoy the brilliant goddess of love as she graces our evening sky from now through late July. She’ll put on quite a show, especially during the summer.