Venus, the Planet of Love, Will Shine Bright on Valentine’s Day. Here’s How to See It
Around the time of your romantic dinner, head outside and look to the southwest to spot the super brilliant planet in the night sky
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For a romantic moment on Valentine’s Day, head outside and look up: Venus, the planet of love, will be extra bright on February 14.
The second planet from the sun, Venus is named after the Roman goddess of love, beauty and fertility. In what Live Science’s Jamie Carter calls a “cosmic coincidence,” the planet will reach its greatest brilliance in the middle of the month, just in time for the lovey-dovey holiday.
Because of its proximity to Earth and the reflective nature of its cloudy atmosphere, Venus is always the brightest planet in the sky. But on Valentine’s Day, it will be even more brilliant than usual—the next time it will appear this bright in the evening sky will be more than a year from now, in September 2026, per EarthSky.
Around sunset on the evening of February 14, Venus will appear to be roughly 40 degrees above the horizon for viewers in North America, according to Space.com’s Joe Rao. (If you hold out your arm and clench your fist, the size of your fist represents roughly 10 degrees.) Look toward the southwestern sky in the hours just after sunset, per the Saint Louis Science Center.
Why is Venus’ brilliance peaking now? Its brightness relates to its orbit around the sun, as well as its proximity to our planet. Right now, Venus’ orbit is bringing it closer to Earth, which makes it appear brighter.
Venus is nicknamed the “evening star” and the “morning star,” because it’s either visible at sunset or sunrise, depending on its position in relation to the sun and Earth. Right now, it can be seen in the night sky. But, starting in April, it will appear in the morning sky. The planet will reach its highest morning sky brilliance on April 27.
Like the moon, Venus goes through phases in which more or less of its surface appears illuminated to Earth-bound observers. As its orbit around the sun brings it closer to Earth, it appears more like a crescent. So, paradoxically, Venus will appear brightest when it’s just 27 percent illuminated, per Live Science. That’s because it will be closer to Earth, making it look larger in the sky.
“Even as a crescent, the light from its closer position more than makes up for the smaller phase,” writes NASA’s Preston Dyches.
The space agency even came up with a witty “Valentine’s proverb” to describe this phenomenon: “The goddess of love is at her most radiant when nearby.”
While Venus will be clearly visible to the naked eye, you’ll need to look at the planet through strong binoculars or a telescope to make out its illuminated crescent shape. Just keep in mind that you won’t be able to see its surface, per the Saint Louis Science Center. Venus is covered in dense clouds, which is another big reason why it appears so bright from here on Earth, writes EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd. The clouds reflect roughly 70 percent of the sunlight that reaches Venus.
Venus has phases too! But here’s the twist: when it’s full, it’s hidden behind the Sun. The best view? As a crescent! That’s when Venus is biggest & brightest in the sky!
— Star Walk (@StarWalk) February 8, 2025
Learn the best time to spot Venus here: https://t.co/b62vGJmwVI pic.twitter.com/gDROEwHYlv
How to see the Snow Moon and planet parade
The bright inner planet isn’t the only spectacle in the sky this month: Two days before Valentine’s Day, on February 12, you can catch a glimpse of this month’s full moon, also known as the Snow Moon.
“Depending on location and climate conditions, February can be one of the snowiest months of the year,” writes Melissa Mayntz for Farmers’ Almanac. “Furthermore, at this mid-winter point without many other strongly distinguishing characteristics—no plants to harvest, no new plants blooming—snow can be the most prominent trait of the month.”
Other nicknames include the “deep snow moon” (from the Mahican peoples), the “midwinter moon” (from the Oneida peoples), the “makes branches fall in pieces moon,” (from the Abenaki peoples) and the “when trees crack because of cold” moon (from the Lakota peoples), per Farmers’ Almanac.
Whatever you decide to call it, the full moon will peak at 8:53 a.m. Eastern time on February 12, which is after sunrise for much of the country. Still, the moon will appear nearly full throughout the week, per the Washington Post’s Ian Livingston, offering ideal viewing.
And, at the end of February, you’ll have a chance to see seven planets in the night sky at once: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, which are visible to the naked eye, plus Uranus and Neptune, which can be seen through a telescope or binoculars.
