♀ Phases of Venus by Date
Find the phase of Venus for any date and time: illuminated fraction of the disk, morning or evening star, angular distance from the Sun, distance to Earth, brightness, and the upcoming conjunctions and greatest elongations. Calculated in your browser, no sign-up needed.
Phases of Venus by Date
Find the phase of Venus for any date and time: illuminated fraction of the disk, morning or evening star, angular distance from the Sun, distance to Earth, brightness, and the upcoming conjunctions and greatest elongations. Calculated in your browser, no sign-up needed.
What the calculator shows
🌆 Evening star
Venus lies east of the Sun: visible in the evening in the west after sunset. Its phase shrinks from a nearly full disk to a crescent.
🌄 Morning star
Venus lies west of the Sun: visible in the morning in the east before sunrise. Its phase grows from a crescent to a nearly full disk.
🌑 Inferior conjunction
Venus between Earth and the Sun: a thin crescent at its largest apparent size, closest to us but usually not visible.
☀️ Superior conjunction
Venus behind the Sun: the disk is almost full but small and lost in the solar glare.
📐 Greatest elongation
The greatest apparent distance from the Sun (up to 47°). Venus looks like a “half-moon” — the best time for observing.
When you need it
- Find out when and where in the sky to look for Venus
- Binoculars or telescope observing: the phase is visible even at 10–20× magnification
- Astrophotography and educational projects
- Planning around conjunctions and elongations
How to use it
- Choose a date and, if needed, a time
- You will instantly see the phase, the illumination, and whether Venus is a morning or evening object
- The diagram shows the positions of Earth and Venus in their orbits
- Below are the previous and upcoming events (conjunctions and elongations)
FAQ
What are the phases of Venus?
Like the Moon, Venus goes through phases from a thin crescent to a nearly full disk. Near Earth it looks like a large thin crescent, and behind the Sun it is a small, almost round disk that cannot be seen because of the sunlight.
Why does Venus have phases?
Venus orbits the Sun closer than Earth does, so we see its illuminated half at different angles. Galileo observed the phases of Venus in 1610, which was a strong argument in favor of the heliocentric system.
When is Venus a morning star and when an evening star?
When Venus is east of the Sun in the sky, it is visible in the evening after sunset — the evening star. When it is west of the Sun, it is visible in the morning before sunrise. Between the two there are several weeks when it is lost in the Sun’s rays.
How long is a full cycle of Venus’s phases?
About 583.9 days (the synodic period). The greatest angular distance from the Sun (elongation) is roughly 45–47°.
How accurate are the calculations?
The positions of Venus and Earth are computed from approximate orbital elements (JPL, valid for 1800–2050). Illumination and distances are accurate to a fraction of a percent; event dates are accurate to within a day.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. All calculations run in your browser.