The phases of Venus are the variations of lighting seen on the planet's surface, similar to lunar phases. The first recorded observations of them are thought to have been telescopic observations by Galileo Galilei in 1610.

Feb 4, 2025 · Venus will be in its waxing gibbous phase from June 2, 2025, to January 5, 2026, when it grows from its first quarter phase (half Venus) to full phase. It will be visible in the eastern sky preceding sunrise as it rises before sunrise and sets before sunset.

This simulation demonstrates the cycle of the phases of Venus. Click Start Animation. Note that and both venus and Earth now revolve around the Sun with their correct orbital speeds (described by what we call Kepler's 3rd Law today). Which planet moves faster (and can you explain why)?

Jan 22, 2025 · Keep watch over many months, and you’ll notice that Venus has phases, just like our Moon – full, half, quarter, etc. The complete cycle, however, new to full, takes 584 days, while our Moon takes just a month.

Below is a listing of the principal stages in each Venus phase cycle, with a line space between each 1.6-year cycle. Note that each new Venus phase cycle begins about a biquintile (144 degrees) earlier in the zodiac than the previous one.

The Phases of Venus. The phases of Venus can be categorized into four primary stages: new, crescent, gibbous, and full. Each phase corresponds to a specific position of Venus in relation to the Earth and the Sun. 1. New Venus: This phase occurs when Venus is positioned between the Earth and the Sun.

Venus has about the same apparent angular diameter as a large lunar crater. • Venus' permanent, thick cloud cover reflects 75% of the sunlight that strikes it (called its "albedo"). Compare that to the Moon's albedo of 12%, Mercury's 12% and Mars' 16%! Relative apparent sizes of the Moon, a large crater (Petavius) & the crescent Venus.

May 18, 2020 · For weeks before and afterward, Venus appears much larger than at its fully lit phase, and its thin crescent provides a visually impressive telescope target. This time is also when Venus is at its brightest in our sky, maxing out at around –4.7 magnitude.

When Venus is on the far side of the Sun from the Earth, it appears angularly smallest and nearest to full phase, while when Venus and Earth are on the same side of the Sun, Venus appears larger, but as a crescent. This month Venus rises before dawn in waxing gibbous phases.

As Venus orbits the Sun, the phase of the planet appears to change (rather like those of the Moon). The phases of Venus and the idea of elongations are easier to understand if we use a picture. In Figure 1 an illustration showing the orbit of Venus as it moves around the Sun.