Venus, the brightest of the planets and third brightest object in the sky, will soon be fading from its 2025 reign as the gleaming “morning star.” Observable in the east around 6:15 a.m., Venus has been dazzling pre-dawn since Spring. By November, it will be close to the sun and out of view.

Named for the goddess of love and beauty in Greek (Aphrodite) and Roman mythology, for its blazing glory, it was initially thought to be two separate objects. Venus orbits closer to the Sun than Earth, and it completes a quicker yearly orbit on the inner track. Sometimes the planet appears to trail the sun from our vantage point and becomes visible after the sun sets. When it is on the other side of the sun, it appears ahead of the sun, visible in the morning sky. The ancient Greeks and Egyptians referred to these separate appearances by distinct names: Phosphoros, for the morning star, “the bringer of light,” and the evening star was called Hesperos, “the star of the evening.” Eventually, the Greeks recognized Venus as a single object.

Cloaked/swathed by highly reflective clouds, this glorious beacon reflects nearly 70% of sunlight. At the same time, heat is trapped beneath the sulfuric acid blanket, creating a runaway greenhouse effect. At nearly 900 degrees Fahrenheit, day and night, the scorched world of Venus can even melt lead.