  |
|||
|
|
|
||
|
Posted by Kelly Whitt Jun 28, 2008 |
It's been a while since Venus has been up and brilliant in the evening sky, rulling the post-sunlight hours in the west. I've missed it. It may not be that interesting through a telescope or binoculars, but it's a wonder with the unaided eye.
Its brilliant light is often mistaken for an airplane. For those who simply glance and do not observe, it can look like a plane coming in with its landing lights on. Only with a few moments observation does one realize that the "plane" is not moving.
For those of us familiar with the night sky, a quick glance out the window after sunset and the sight of a brilliant point of light may temporarily stop us in our tracks, with the word "Venus" flashed across our brain. In fact, just last night I experienced such a moment. I was walking through the house and one of the windows framed a view of a brilliant point of light in the fading daylight. "Venus!" I thought, a thought that just as quickly vanished as I remembered that Venus is not showing itself in the evening sky at the moment. It was, indeed, a plane.
But good news for Venus lovers! The wait is almost over. By August the planet will once again be making a notable appearance in the evening sky, and that is just the start. It will stay above the horizon after sunset longer each month and become a friendly beacon in the winter skies to come.