Venus at greatest eastern elongation: when to look for the "Evening Star"
Kyiv • UNN
On August 15, Venus will reach its greatest eastern elongation, moving 46 degrees away from the Sun, and will be visible in the evening sky. There will also be a visual conjunction of Mercury and Jupiter.
On August 15, Venus will reach its greatest eastern elongation and appear in the evening sky, while Mercury and Jupiter will also be in visual conjunction, UNN reports.
Greatest eastern elongation: what it means
A planet’s elongation is an astronomical term denoting its apparent distance from the Sun in Earth’s sky. More precisely, it is the angle between the directions to the center of our star and to a particular celestial body. That is why it is measured in degrees.
Elongation can be determined for any celestial body. In practice, however, astronomers regularly monitor its value for two planets—Mercury and Venus. The reason is that they are inner planets relative to Earth. Although tens of millions of kilometers may separate them from the Sun, in our sky they never move far away from it.
As a result, these planets can be seen only before sunrise or immediately after sunset, but never in the middle of the night. In addition, much of the time they are hidden behind our star or pass between it and us, or their angular distance from it in the sky is so small that they cannot be observed properly.
When Venus will be most visible in August
On August 15, Venus will reach its greatest eastern elongation and appear in the evening sky, while Mercury and Jupiter will also be in visual conjunction.
August 14–15 will be the best time for observation (the point of greatest eastern elongation)—on these days, Venus will appear at its maximum angular distance from the Sun, 46 degrees.
Why Venus is called the "Evening Star"
Venus is called the "Evening Star" because of the characteristics of its orbit and its extraordinary brightness. The name originated in ancient times, when people did not know the astronomical nature of celestial bodies but noticed remarkable patterns in the sky.
How to observe the planet without special equipment
The planet can be observed immediately after sunset during evening twilight—ideally 30–60 minutes after sunset. Look for it in the west/western part of the sky—in the direction where the Sun sets.
Venus is so bright that it can be clearly seen without a telescope or binoculars—its light is steady and, unlike starlight, does not twinkle.
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