Starwatch: Catch the last days of illuminated Venus

It’s bright in the morning sky now, but the planet will be lost to the dawn light by early March

Venus is beautifully bright in the morning sky at the moment. The chart shows the view looking south-south-east from London at 7am GMT early in the week (and the view is easily visible from the southern hemisphere too).

The waning crescent moon will be fast approaching the horizon, and its phase will be shrinking. On successive mornings, it will pass by the red supergiant star Antares in Scorpius, the scorpion, before heading for a close encounter with Venus just 24 hours later.

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