Sky Lights: Shining on Venus

Mars is all over the media these days, grabbing attention because of its Earth-like qualities, but if you look just at vital statistics you might wonder if astronomers are focusing on the wrong planet. Venus is much closer to Earth’s size (95 percent as wide), bulk (0.82 times as massive), and distance from the sun (72 percent as far). Glance west after sunset this month and you’ll see that Venus also dwarfs the brightness of Mars, dangling nearby in the sky.