Planets TonightVenus in 2002: brightness, position and events
Brightest-4.9around Dec 1
Closest (in table)0.271 au41 million km
Farthest1.711 au
Events this year3
Brightest last year-4.8
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-01-14 20:32 | Superior conjunction | -3.9 | 1.711 | Sagittarius | 0.9° |
| 2002-08-22 22:18 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -4.4 | 0.683 | Virgo | 46.0° |
| 2002-10-31 21:05 | Inferior conjunction | -4.2 | 0.271 | Virgo | 5.7° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -3.9 | 1.707 | Sagittarius | 3° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -3.9 | 1.711 | Sagittarius | 1° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -3.9 | 1.707 | Capricornus | 4° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -3.9 | 1.694 | Aquarius | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -3.9 | 1.673 | Aquarius | 11° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -3.9 | 1.643 | Cetus | 14° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 1 | -3.9 | 1.595 | Aries | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | -3.9 | 1.544 | Aries | 22° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | -3.9 | 1.473 | Taurus | 26° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | -3.9 | 1.401 | Taurus | 29° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | -3.9 | 1.300 | Gemini | 33° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | -4.0 | 1.207 | Cancer | 36° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | -4.0 | 1.093 | Leo | 40° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | -4.1 | 0.987 | Leo | 42° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | -4.2 | 0.854 | Leo | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | -4.3 | 0.742 | Virgo | 46° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | -4.5 | 0.608 | Virgo | 46° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | -4.7 | 0.501 | Virgo | 43° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | -4.8 | 0.389 | Libra | 37° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -4.7 | 0.312 | Libra | 25° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -4.1 | 0.271 | Virgo | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -4.6 | 0.297 | Virgo | 22° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -4.9 | 0.379 | Virgo | 37° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -4.8 | 0.473 | Libra | 43° W | Morning sky |
Computed with the JPL DE421 ephemeris and Skyfield (times in JST). Magnitude and distance are for 12:00 JST on each date. Visibility is a rough guide for mid-northern latitudes such as Japan.
About this page
Venus is brightest around December 2002 (magnitude -4.9); 3 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.