THIS MONTH’S PLANETS
Venus is a striking sight in the dawn sky, taking the morning watch with Mercury, Mars and Saturn
PLANET OF THE MONTH
Having been a very bright but very low object after sunset at the end of last year, Venus has now well and truly swapped its ‘evening star’ hat for its ‘morning star’ one, and is a stunning sight low in the east before sunrise. Brighter than any other planet or star around it, at the start of our observing period it will be rising two hours before the Sun, giving observers the chance to see it shining in a still-dark sky.
If you get up early – or are still up after a long night – you’ll see Venus before you see anything else, looking like a silvery-blue spark low in the sky, so bright it will shine through even serious light pollution. If you’re lucky enough to live away from the streetlights, illuminated buildings and advertising signs that cause this light pollution, you’ll have a simply stunning view of Venus – you might even see it casting a faint shadow.