Planets TonightVenus in 2010: brightness, position and events
Brightest-4.9around Dec 1
Closest (in table)0.272 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-01-12 06:05 | Superior conjunction | -3.9 | 1.711 | Sagittarius | 0.8° |
| 2010-08-20 12:48 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -4.5 | 0.684 | Virgo | 46.0° |
| 2010-10-29 10:10 | Inferior conjunction | -4.2 | 0.272 | Virgo | 6.0° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -3.9 | 1.708 | 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 | 1.705 | Capricornus | 5° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -3.9 | 1.690 | Aquarius | 8° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -3.9 | 1.668 | Aquarius | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -3.9 | 1.637 | Cetus | 15° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | -3.9 | 1.586 | Aries | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | -3.9 | 1.534 | Aries | 23° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | -3.9 | 1.462 | Taurus | 26° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | -3.9 | 1.388 | Taurus | 30° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | -3.9 | 1.285 | Gemini | 34° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | -4.0 | 1.192 | Cancer | 37° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | -4.0 | 1.076 | Leo | 40° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | -4.1 | 0.970 | Leo | 43° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | -4.3 | 0.836 | Leo | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | -4.4 | 0.724 | Virgo | 46° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | -4.6 | 0.589 | Virgo | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | -4.7 | 0.483 | Virgo | 43° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | -4.8 | 0.374 | Libra | 35° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -4.5 | 0.302 | Libra | 22° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -4.3 | 0.272 | Virgo | 7° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -4.7 | 0.308 | Virgo | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -4.9 | 0.394 | Virgo | 38° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -4.8 | 0.490 | Libra | 44° 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 2010 (magnitude -4.9); 3 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.