Sky-event alert: Venus, brightest light in the night sky
(from Astronomy magazine)
Published: January 13, 2009
WAUKESHA, Wis. - January's celestial night-light is Venus. It will remain high above the horizon and shine brightly throughout the month.
On January 14, Venus reaches a point in its orbit known as maximum elongation. This means that from the point of view of an observer on Earth, Venus sits farthest from the Sun and thus highest above the horizon. The planet will also appear brighter than any other point of light in the sky.
"This is a beautiful opportunity to do some basic naked-eye stargazing," said Daniel Pendick, associate editor of Astronomy. "Enjoy the sunset on the 14th and within a quarter-hour, say hello to Venus."
Locate Venus in your night sky with Astronomy.com's interactive star chart, StarDome.
Read the complete release here.
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