Venus shining brighter in the sky

Venus is currently the second-brightest object in the night sky, outshone only by the moon and highly visible for the stay at home astronomer.

On Tuesday night the planet will shine nine times brighter than its brightest planetary competitor, Jupiter, according to www.Space.com.

Head of the Cyprus Astronomical Society Chrysanthos Fakas told CNA that Venus will be visible in the afternoon hours until 2130-2200 when it sets and disappears.

This is the reason why in the past, Venus was named Aposperitis and Avgerinos because it is visible in the afternoon and dawn.

“It is north-west when you look at Pentadaktylos on the left”, he said.

Due to its brightness, ancient Greeks named the planet after the Goddess of beauty Venus.

What still puzzles scientists, according to Fakas, is how ancient Greeks believed Jupiter was bigger than Venus, even if it was brighter.

“How they did this without the use of current technology, still baffles”, said Fakas.

After this week, the bright “evening star” will slowly start to dim again before the planet disappears in the sun’s glare at the end of May. It will reappear in early June as a “morning star.”

On April 28, Venus will achieve its “greatest illuminated extent” for this year’s evening apparition.

Venus will shine at a spectacular magnitude –4.73. Its 27% illuminated crescent phase will be apparent in any telescope or spotting scope, good binoculars — or even to very sharp, unaided eyes.