Catch Venus at its peak brightness this week as next chance comes in September 2026

Venus to Shine Brightest on April 24

Some mornings surprise us with beauty we never expect. On April 24, early risers will see a rare and cheerful sight—Venus shining its brightest, joined by the crescent moon and Saturn to form a “smiley face” in the sky.

Venus at its brightest before sunrise

Venus will glow at -4.4 magnitude, making it the brightest it will appear from Earth until September 2026. Known as the "Morning Star", Venus has taken this role since 22 March. Before that, it was visible as the "Evening Star", glowing in the west just after sunset.

This shift happened during Venus' inferior conjunction with the sun, when it moved between Earth and the sun and vanished in the solar glare for a short while.

Back in February, Venus reached -4.6 magnitude as the "Evening Star", the brightest it had shone during that phase. Its recent glow is due to its closeness to Earth, as Venus speeds ahead on its 225-day orbit around the sun.

Venus appears as a crescent through telescope

Despite being so bright, Venus will appear as a 23% illuminated crescent if viewed through a good telescope on 24 April. Like the moon, inner planets such as Venus and Mercury also show phases from Earth.

By 24 May, Venus will be 45% illuminated and shine slightly dimmer at -4.2 magnitude. Yet, it will still be very easy to spot in the sky throughout late April.

Smiley face in the sky with moon and Saturn

On 25 April, an 8% illuminated crescent moon will appear just below Venus. Saturn will also be nearby, forming a delightful "smiley face" pattern in the pre-dawn sky. This rare alignment will be best seen looking east, an hour before sunrise.

The "eyes" of this celestial smile will be Venus and Saturn, while the delicate moon forms the curved "mouth". For best viewing, make sure the eastern horizon is clear.