A bright “star” has suddenly disappeared in the western sky, leaving astronomers puzzled. However, it’s not a celestial event – it’s just Venus, which will pass between Earth and our sun this weekend.
Venus has been slowly moving away from the horizon in the post-sunset western sky, appearing closer to the sun with each passing day. As an inner planet, we’ve been seeing its phases as it approaches Earth, making it a stunning sight for stargazers. Recently, Venus has become a crescent and a thin sliver.
In a few weeks, Venus will pass into the sun’s glare, disappearing from view. However, it will reappear in the pre-dawn eastern sky, shining brightly as the “Morning Star.” Over the next few months, astronomers predict several exciting events:
* April 22: Venus reaches its brightest in the pre-dawn night sky.
* May 31, 2025: Venus is at its highest point before sunrise.
* August 12, 2025: A rare conjunction with Jupiter.
* September 19, 2025: A narrow passage between Venus and a crescent moon.
During this time, only two planets remain visible in the evening sky – Jupiter and Mars. The next planetary parade will be seen on August 29, 2025.
A transit of Venus is a rare event that occurs when Venus appears to pass across the sun’s disk. This won’t happen again until December 10/11, 2117. The orbits of Venus and Earth are in an 8:13 resonance, causing Venus to loop around the sun 13 times every eight years from our perspective.
As we bid farewell to this celestial spectacle, astronomers wish stargazers clear skies and wide eyes for future events.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2025/03/21/where-did-brilliant-venus-go-the-science-behind-its-vanishing-act