SkyEye

The upper chart shows the path of Venus across the background stars over the course of the year. Stars to magnitude +4.5 are shown with some fainter objects included to complete constellation patterns. The white circles represent the planet on the first day of the month and are scaled according to apparent magnitude. The faint paths before the first circle and after the last circle represent the planet's positions in December of last year and January of next. In general, the planet moves from right to left except when it's in retrograde and proceding in the opposite direction. As an inferior planet, Venus never strays far from the Sun so it always begins and ends the year near the constellation of Sagittarius, located about one quarter of the way in from the left side of the chart.

The lower charts show how the appearance of Venus changes over the year. Below each image is listed the date, the apparent magnitude, the apparent diameter of the disk (in arc-seconds), the geocentric distance (in au), the elongation from the Sun (in degrees) and the percentage of the disk which is illuminated. Like the Moon, Venus exhibits a complete range of phases, from new to crescent to gibbous to full and back again. Unlike the Moon, however, Venus takes over a year to complete this phase cycle. Note how Venus is at its brightest during its crescent phase, when it is relatively close to the Earth.

Having reached greatest elongation west last October, Venus opens the year as morning star, declining in the east on its way to superior conjunction in early June. It reappears at sunset soon afterwards in what is a poor apparition for planet watchers in northern temperate latitudes. Greatest elongation east occurs early next year. Venus is at its brightest at the beginning and end of the year (magnitudes −4.1 and −4.4 respectively), dipping down to −3.9 for some months before and after conjunction.

All times and dates are in UT. Positions are geocentric apparent places, referred to the true equator and equinox of date.

• Apparitions of the Inferior Planets from Latitude 50° North
• Apparitions of the Inferior Planets from Latitude 10° North
• Apparitions of the Inferior Planets from Latitude 30° South