Venus and Mars: Bright in the Evening Sky

On the next clear night, look to the southwest shortly after sunset. You won't be able to miss Venus, shining like a beacon. Mars is easily visible in the south. Read on to learn how to find the bright planets tonight!

Venus shines brightly in our night sky because it has a thick atmosphere, and its clouds reflect 70% of the sunlight it receives. It is also closer to Earth than all the other planets. These two factors make it the third brightest object you can see in the sky, besides the Sun and the Moon. 

Look for the brightest object you see in the southwest as the Sun is setting - you found Venus! Image: Stellarium and me

Venus is so bright you can see it even when there is light from the setting Sun in the sky. It will be visible at dusk until about 6:30 PM. Venus will light up our evening sky for several months, until the end of February. 

Mars does not appear as bright as Venus, because it is about half the size, has a very thin atmosphere, and is farther away. It is still brighter than surrounding stars in the south, and noticeably orangish-red in the sky. 

Mars is visible in the evening from sunset until about 9 PM.

At sunset, Mars is visible in the south southwest. As the night moves on and the Earth rotates, Mars will appear to move (as the stars do) toward the west. It sets at about 9 PM right now. You can find Mars in our evening skies all through the winter and into spring, until mid-April.

Both of these planets are being explored by our robotic emissaries right now. Venus is being explored by Japan's little spacecraft that could: Akatsuki! Akatsuki failed to enter orbit around Venus in its first attempt five years ago, but mission planners salvaged the mission and it is successfully monitoring Venus' weather patterns today. You can read a post about Akasuki here. 

 

Venus' clouds as seen in near-infrared by Akatsuki. Image Source

Mars is being explored by EIGHT active missions, the most in history. There are six robots orbiting the red planet, sent by NASA, ESA, and India. There are also two rovers, Opportunity and Curiosity, driving around the surface. 

A selfie by Curiosity on the surface of Mars. Curiosity has found a great deal of evidence that Mars once had flowing liquid water on its surface. Image Source

 

Mars, its thin atmosphere, and Phobos. Imaged by the India mission MOM. Image Source

Afternoon on Mars, imaged by Opportunity. Image Source

Martian volcanoes observed by Mars Express. Image Source

Have fun observing Venus and Mars over the next few months! Notice the planets as they move against the backdrop of the fixed stars. And when you see them, remember that we are exploring them right now, with robots built and controlled by humans on Earth.

Remember, you can always learn the latest news from space at the Dome Planetarium! Follow the us on Facebook or Twitter for daily updates, and come see a show next time you visit the Peoria Riverfront Museum - we teach about space and science everyday.