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Venus is the second planet in orbit and the sixth largest planet. ... Throughout December, Venus will move higher and higher in the night sky, setting several hours after the sun.
Today, Venus is referred to as the "Christmas Star" because it will be the brightest object in the sky, besides the moon and sun, Throop said. PHOTO: Starry sky (Picture Alliance/DPA via Getty Images)
Venus is a primary feature of the night sky, and so has been of remarkable importance in mythology, astrology and fiction throughout history and in different cultures. The eight-pointed star a symbol used in some cultures for Venus, and sometimes combined into a star and crescent arrangement.
What is now known as the planet Venus has long been an object of fascination for cultures worldwide. It is the second brightest object in the night sky, and follows a synodic cycle by which it seems to disappear for several days due to its proximity to the Sun, then re-appear on the opposite side of the Sun and on the other horizon.
Venus is brightest when approximately 25% of its disk is illuminated; this typically occurs 37 days both before (in the evening sky) and after (in the morning sky) its inferior conjunction. Its greatest elongations occur approximately 70 days before and after inferior conjunction, at which time it is half full; between these two intervals Venus ...
The moon, Venus and Jupiter aligned in the evening sky. The crescent moon appeared below Venus and Jupiter on Tuesday, Feb. 21. A similar alignment will be visible on Thursday, Feb. 23.
The night sky is the nighttime appearance of celestial objects like stars, planets, and the Moon, which are visible in a clear sky between sunset and sunrise, when the Sun is below the horizon. Natural light sources in a night sky include moonlight , starlight , and airglow , depending on location and timing.
It is the second-brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows. Because Venus orbits within Earth's orbit it is an inferior planet .