Venus takes the morning watch over the next few weeks, alongside Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus

Venus is usually the first planet people spot in the sky because it is so easy to see. At its best Venus is the brightest, most beautiful object in the sky, after the Sun and Moon of course. It’s ironic that Venus’ magnificent brightness is the very same reason why its surface is always hidden from us. The planet has an atmosphere of carbon dioxide so thick it appears opaque from Earth. With no gaps in the planet’s clouds its surface can never be seen from Earth, but space probes fitted with radar instruments have mapped it, revealing it has continent-like land masses with towering mountain ranges, deep valleys, wide plains and even volcanoes. Despite some tantalising observations in recent years, planetary scientists are still unsure if any of those volcanoes are active.