Where is Venus tonight?
Venus is the brightest planet and often the brilliant “star” people notice near dusk or dawn. Look toward the sunset side after sunset during an evening appearance, or toward the sunrise side before sunrise during a morning appearance. Which one applies changes through the year.
Live sky
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When and where to see Venus
During an evening appearance, Venus shines toward the west after sunset; during a morning appearance, look east before sunrise. It stays near the Sun in the sky and is not a midnight target. The live panel tells you which side, height and hours apply to your selected place and night.
How to recognize Venus
To the unaided eye it looks like an unusually bright, pale point. It often shines more steadily than nearby stars, but low altitude can make even Venus flicker. Brightness is a useful clue; the map’s matching direction and height are the better check.
Jupiter is also conspicuous, so “very bright” alone is not an identification. Compare both positions if you are unsure. If the light crosses a large part of the sky within a minute, it is not Venus.
Why “morning star” and “evening star”?
Venus is a planet, not two different stars. Its orbit lies inside Earth’s orbit, so from here it always stays in the same broad part of the sky as the Sun, never more than about 47 degrees away. It moves between morning and evening appearances, passing through intervals when sunlight makes it difficult to see.
It can stand well above the horizon during a favorable appearance. Do not assume it must always be a light hugging the horizon, or that it will occupy yesterday’s spot at a different time.
Can you see its crescent?
Not with the unaided eye. Venus has phases, but this guide is about finding the bright point, not resolving its shape. Observe with the Sun below the horizon; never aim binoculars or a telescope toward the Sun.
The map supplies positions, not a visibility forecast. Cloud, glare and an obstructed horizon can still hide Venus. For an unidentified sighting, record the place and time and use the bright-light checklist.
Questions people ask
Where is Venus located in the sky right now?
It is either low in the west after sunset or low in the east before sunrise, depending on the appearance, and it is never high at midnight. For the exact direction and height at your place and time, open the sky map and select Venus.
What direction should I look to see Venus?
Toward the Sun: west after sunset in an evening appearance, east before sunrise in a morning one. Face that horizon while the Sun is below it, and look for the brightest steady point. The map gives its compass direction and height for your place.
Why is Venus so visible tonight?
Venus is usually the brightest point in the sky after the Sun and Moon. Its cloud tops reflect much of the sunlight that reaches them, and it comes closer to Earth than any other planet. Against a darkening twilight sky, nothing else competes with it.
How do I tell Venus from a star or an aircraft?
Venus is steadier and far brighter than any star, and it does not blink. An aircraft shows blinking lights and crosses the sky within a minute or two. Venus holds its place among the stars from minute to minute.
Explore other planets
Visibility changes with date and place. Use the live sky above for current details.
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Mercury
A small, steady point low in twilight after sunset or before sunrise.
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Mars
A reddish point whose brightness and viewing hours change through its orbit.
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Jupiter
A bright, steady point along the path the Sun and Moon follow.
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Saturn
A steady yellowish point; its rings need a telescope.