Venus

Venus, second planet from the sun, is the brightest planet in our solar system.

Related Topics: Mercury, Earth, Mars

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Venus and the crescent moon get together in dazzling dance early Sunday

By Joe Rao published 24 June 22

Get up early Sunday to see a celestial rendezvous between the two brightest objects in the night sky: Venus and the moon.

Graphic showing a line of planets and the moon across the predawn sky.

Rare alignment of 5 planets peaks Friday as crescent moon joins the parade

By Daisy Dobrijevic last updated 23 June 22

A rare planetary alignment will peak predawn on Friday (June 24) when the crescent moon joins the party. An alignment like this will not occur again until 2040.

Rare 5-planet alignment comes into better view this week. Here's what to expect.

By Joe Rao published 16 June 22

A rare parade of planets is coming into better view in the second half of June, and even the moon will join the show.

A false-colour image of cloud features seen on Venus by the Venus Monitoring Camera (VMC) on the European Space Agency's Venus Express probe captured on 8 December 2011.

Missing microbial poop in Venus' clouds suggests the planet has no life

By Tereza Pultarova published 15 June 22

The odd chemical composition of Venusian clouds cannot be explained by extraterrestrial life, as the atmosphere bears no signs of alien pooping and eating, a new study found.

Sky map of the locations of Venus and Uranus on June 11, 2022.

Spot Uranus near Venus in the predawn sky on Sunday

By Tariq Malik published 11 June 22

The brilliant planet Venus will shine near Uranus before sunrise early Sunday (June 12). Here's how to see them.

NASA sky map of five bright visible planets before dawn in June 2022.

A 'planetary breakup' of 5 planets in the June's big stargazing sight, NASA says

By Samantha Mathewson published 9 June 22

The rare alignment of five naked-eye planets will begin to "break up" as they appear to grow increasingly distant from one another in the morning sky.

NASA's DAVINCI descent probe will carry a small sensor developed by students to measure the chemistry of Venus' atmosphere.

A Venus-bound mission from NASA will carry a tiny sensor built by students to the planet's hellish surface

By Samantha Mathewson published 9 June 22

NASA's DAVINCI mission to Venus will carry a dime-sized, student-built sensor to study the planet's near-surface environment.

NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captured this sequence of the 2012 transit of Venus from space.

Venus crossed the sun's face 10 years ago. Most people alive will never see the sight again.

By Tom Kerss last updated 6 June 22

On the 10th anniversary of the last transit of Venus, find out what makes these events so special and what else to look out for during the long wait for the next one.

Sand blown by wind into ripples within Victoria Crater at Meridiani Planum on Mars, as photographed by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on October 3, 2006.

What's it like to be on Venus or Pluto? We studied their sand dunes and found some clues.

By Andrew Gunn published 3 June 22

What is it like to be on the surface of Mars or Venus? Or even further afield, such as on Pluto, or Saturn's moon Titan?

The five naked-eye planets will be visible in the predawn sky in June 2022.

See 5 planets align in the night sky this month in a rare treat!

By Elizabeth Howell published 2 June 22

A "planet parade" will see all five naked-eye worlds line up in their proper orbital order from the sun in Earth's sky this month.

Sky chart of Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Saturn in the predawn sky in late May 2022.

See Mars and Jupiter shine super-close in the predawn sky this Memorial Day weekend

By Elizabeth Howell last updated 1 June 22

See Mars and Jupiter appear to practically high-five each other in the early-morning sky this Memorial Day weekend.

Watch the moon and Venus snuggle up together in a live webcast

By Elizabeth Howell last updated 26 May 22

Venus and the moon will meet up in the sky Thursday (May 26) and you can catch their greetings online.

An image of Venus compiled from data gathered by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter and the Magellan mission, both of which ended in the early 1990s.

Venus-like worlds are surprisingly common in 'habitable' zones

By Paul Sutter published 6 May 22

The current definition of habitable zone only examines the amount of sunlight reaching a planet. It may be time to question that definition.

Venus (lower left) and Jupiter during a close conjunction over Rome on May 1, 2022.

Venus and Jupiter shine together over Rome (photo)

By Elizabeth Howell published 2 May 22

A new image captures two planets with ancient significance meeting up over the famous old city of Rome on Sunday (May 1).

A diagram showing Venus and Jupiter in conjunction in the predawn sky over Rome, Italy, on May 1, 2022.

Venus and Jupiter shine together overnight, here's how to watch the spectacle live online

By Tereza Pultarova published 30 April 22

Tune into a Virtual Telescope Project livestream to watch live as Jupiter and Venus meet in the night sky.

Planets Jupiter, Venus, Mars and Saturn, alongside the moon, shine above Rome at dawn, while the Chinese space station module Tianhe crosses the sky on April 27, 2022.

ISS and China's space station photobomb image of 4 planets aligned in the sky

By Jeanna Bryner published 29 April 22

The International Space Station and China's space station photobombed a four-planet line-up in the early morning sky for Italian astrophysicist Gianluca Masi.