Planets TonightVenus in 2018: brightness, position and events
Brightest-4.9around Dec 1
Closest (in table)0.275 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-01-09 16:01 | Superior conjunction | -3.9 | 1.711 | Sagittarius | 0.8° |
| 2018-08-18 02:31 | Greatest eastern elongation (evening) | -4.5 | 0.685 | Virgo | 45.9° |
| 2018-10-26 23:16 | Inferior conjunction | -4.2 | 0.272 | Virgo | 6.3° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | -3.9 | 1.709 | Sagittarius | 2° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Jan 15 | -3.9 | 1.711 | Sagittarius | 2° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 1 | -3.9 | 1.702 | Capricornus | 6° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Feb 15 | -3.9 | 1.687 | Aquarius | 9° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 1 | -3.9 | 1.663 | Aquarius | 12° E | Too close to the Sun |
| Mar 15 | -3.9 | 1.630 | Pisces | 16° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 1 | -3.9 | 1.578 | Aries | 20° E | Evening sky |
| Apr 15 | -3.9 | 1.524 | Aries | 23° E | Evening sky |
| May 1 | -3.9 | 1.450 | Taurus | 27° E | Evening sky |
| May 15 | -3.9 | 1.374 | Taurus | 30° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 1 | -4.0 | 1.270 | Gemini | 34° E | Evening sky |
| Jun 15 | -4.0 | 1.176 | Cancer | 38° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 1 | -4.1 | 1.059 | Leo | 41° E | Evening sky |
| Jul 15 | -4.2 | 0.952 | Leo | 43° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 1 | -4.3 | 0.818 | Leo | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Aug 15 | -4.4 | 0.706 | Virgo | 46° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 1 | -4.6 | 0.571 | Virgo | 45° E | Evening sky |
| Sep 15 | -4.8 | 0.466 | Virgo | 42° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 1 | -4.8 | 0.360 | Virgo | 33° E | Evening sky |
| Oct 15 | -4.4 | 0.294 | Virgo | 19° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -4.2 | 0.275 | Virgo | 10° W | Too close to the Sun |
| Nov 15 | -4.8 | 0.319 | Virgo | 28° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 1 | -4.9 | 0.411 | Virgo | 40° W | Morning sky |
| Dec 15 | -4.8 | 0.508 | Libra | 45° 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 2018 (magnitude -4.9); 3 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.