Planets TonightVenus in 2017: brightness, position and events
Brightest-4.8around Feb 15
Closest (in table)0.288 au43 million km
Farthest1.697 au
Events this year3
Brightest last year-4.2
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-12 22:18 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -4.5 | 0.684 | Aquarius | 47.1° |
| 2017-03-25 19:17 | Inferior conjunction | -4.2 | 0.281 | Pisces | 8.3° |
| 2017-06-03 21:29 | Greatest western elongation (morning) | -4.4 | 0.701 | Pisces | 45.9° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -4.4 | 0.769 | Aquarius | 47° E | Evening sky |
| Jan 15 | -4.5 | 0.665 | Aquarius | 47° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 1 | -4.7 | 0.540 | Pisces | 46° E | Evening sky |
| Feb 15 | -4.8 | 0.441 | Pisces | 41° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 1 | -4.8 | 0.355 | Pisces | 33° E | Evening sky |
| Mar 15 | -4.4 | 0.295 | Pisces | 18° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | -4.1 | 0.288 | Pisces | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Apr 15 | -4.7 | 0.341 | Pisces | 29° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | -4.8 | 0.442 | Pisces | 40° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -4.6 | 0.546 | Pisces | 44° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -4.5 | 0.681 | Pisces | 46° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -4.3 | 0.794 | Aries | 45° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -4.2 | 0.920 | Taurus | 44° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -4.1 | 1.026 | Taurus | 42° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -4.0 | 1.148 | Gemini | 38° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -3.9 | 1.241 | Gemini | 36° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -3.9 | 1.344 | Cancer | 32° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 15 | -3.9 | 1.420 | Leo | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 1 | -3.9 | 1.496 | Leo | 25° W | Morning sky |
| Oct 15 | -3.9 | 1.552 | Virgo | 21° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 1 | -3.9 | 1.609 | Virgo | 17° W | Morning sky |
| Nov 15 | -3.9 | 1.646 | Libra | 13° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 1 | -3.9 | 1.678 | Libra | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Dec 15 | -3.9 | 1.697 | Ophiuchus | 6° W | Too close to the Sun |
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 February 2017 (magnitude -4.8); 3 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.