Venus Rising

I snapped this photo the evening of March 22, 2015.  It is of the Moon and Venus.  The Moon is the larger of the two celestial bodies in the center of the photo.  

It is said that the third brightest object in the sky - other than the sun and moon - is the planet Venus.  Arguably, I happen to think that the third consistently brightest object in the sky is the International Space Station (ISS).  But that's just an opinion and probably not worth arguing. 

In any event, Venus is going to be at its brightest tonight.  This is referred to as its greatest illuminated extent.  Yup, for the entirety of 2020 tonight’s the night.  

Watch the western horizon immediately following sunset to observe Venus rising.  You can catch the show with the naked eye but a pair of binoculars might make it more fun.

Fingers-crossed for clear skies tonight.