An evening with Venus till May
By Hazarry Haji Ali Ahmad

Looking west from Brunei at around 7.00 pm after sunset, Venus will be visible as a very bright star. The above figure depicts 14-day interval position of the planet as seen from Brunei from January until early June this year

View northwest at 7.30pm on April 23, for a conjunction phenomenon of a crescent moon, Mars and Venus

Venus is the second closest planet to the sun apart from Mercury. Having about the same mass and volume as the Earth, it has often been referred to as Earth's sister. Venus is the brightest of all planets in the sky, earning it the nickname 'Morning Star' and sometimes the 'Evening Star.'

Venus' thick atmosphere is made almost entirely of carbon dioxide (96 per cent), which is one of the greenhouse gases and is responsible for the extremely hot conditions on Venus. The remainder comprises 3 per cent nitrogen, traces of water vapour and small quantities of other gases.

The clouds of Venus are rich in sulfuric acid and this hostile condition, as well as the immense heat and pressure, makes this planet completely inhabitable. Man made space probes to Venus revealed volcanic lava flows and quake faults on its surface.

If you look up at the sky due west after sunset (around 7 pm) tonight, you will be surprised to see a very bright star. In fact, it is not a star but a planet - Venus.

Currently, the planet can be seen from Brunei with the naked eye and will remain visible in the evening sky only for a few hours after sunset, as it slowly sets on the western horizon. If you miss the 'Evening Star' tonight, you can still spot it tomorrow night. It will remain as a brilliant object in the west after sunset until the end of May 2004. Use the sky chart to locate the position of Venus on a specific date

Look at the sky due west on January 24 (7 pm), February 23 (7.30 pm), March 24 (7 pm) and May 21 (7 pm) as the shining Venus will be close to the Moon. Do not miss out on the chance to capture a fine photograph of the wonderful conjunction of a crescent moon, Mars and Venus on April 23 (7.30 pm).

Direct your small telescope towards Venus and observe its gibbous phase that will slowly diminish as the months pass. During the last six months of this year, the planet will become a 'Morning Star' since it will shine brilliantly in the east before dawn. Venus will put on another spectacular show on June 8 this year, where it will transit (pass in front of) the face of the Sun for the first time since 1982.

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin