On April 24, Venus will reach its maximum brightness

According to Live Science, on April 24, the second planet from the Sun, Venus, will reach its maximum visible brightness: -4.4 stellar magnitude. The next time the planet will be this bright is September 22, 2026.

Currently, Venus is known as the "morning star". Since March 22, it rises in the east and shines brightly until sunrise. Previously, it appeared in the west after sunset and was called the "evening star".

The reason for Venus’s brightness is its closeness to Earth, as well as the fact that it moves faster in its orbit than our planet. A year on Venus lasts 225 Earth days, while Earth’s year lasts 365 days.

When Venus approaches Earth, it appears larger and brighter. From Earth, it can be seen as a crescent, similar to the Moon, because we only see the illuminated side of the planet. On April 24, only 23% of Venus’s disk will be illuminated, while on May 24, it will be 45%.

Although Venus’s peak brightness occurs on April 24, it will remain bright until the end of the month. On April 25, a crescent moon illuminated 8% will be seen next to Venus. Throughout April, the planet Saturn will also be visible near Venus. According to Live Science, at a certain moment, their positions in the sky will resemble a smiling face.