What is the phase of Venus today?
Today, July 22, 2026, Venus is in the waning gibbous phase and is 60% illuminated in its phase cycle. Through a telescope, it appears less than full but more than half illuminated.
Venus phases for 2026
Here are the dates for all the phases of Venus in 2026:
- Full phase of Venus: January 6, 2026
- Third quarter phase of Venus: August 12, 2026
- New phase of Venus: October 24, 2026
- First quarter phase of Venus: January 3, 2027
- Full phase of Venus: August 12, 2027
The phases of Venus
You cannot observe the phases of Venus with the naked eye. To see them, you will need a telescope.
Venus takes about 584 days to travel from one new phase to the next new phase. This period is called the phase cycle of Venus.
In a phase cycle, Venus goes through the following phases in order: new, waxing crescent, first quarter, waxing gibbous, full, waning gibbous, third quarter, and waning crescent.
New phase of Venus: Venus exhibits its new phase when it passes between the sun and Earth in its orbit, an astronomical event known as the inferior conjunction of Venus.
The new phase of Venus is not visible in the sky for two reasons:
- The illuminated side of Venus—the day side—turns completely away from us.
- It rises and sets with the sun, making it impossible to observe.
Waxing crescent phase of Venus: About a few weeks after its inferior conjunction, a thin, sickle-shaped Venus—a waxing crescent phase of Venus—appears in the eastern sky before sunrise. Each day, its illuminated area increases but disk size decreases.
First quarter phase of Venus: Venus exhibits its first quarter phase around its greatest western elongation from the sun when its phase angle—the angle between the sun, Venus and Earth—is 90°. During the phase, a half-illuminated Venus (like a half-moon) appears in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Waxing gibbous phase of Venus: About a few weeks after its greatest western elongation, a more than half-illuminated but less than full Venus—a waxing gibbous phase of Venus—appears in the eastern sky before sunrise. Each day, its illuminated area increases but disk size decreases until it becomes a full Venus.
Full phase of Venus: Venus exhibits its full phase when it passes almost directly behind the sun from Earth’s perspective, an astronomical event known as the superior conjunction of Venus. The full phase of Venus is not visible in the sky as it rises and sets with the sun.
Waning gibbous phase of Venus: About a few weeks after its superior conjunction, a less than full, but more than half-illuminated Venus—a waning gibbous phase of Venus—appears in the western sky after sunset. Each day, its illuminated area decreases but disk size increases.
Third quarter phase of Venus: Venus exhibits its third quarter phase around its greatest eastern elongation from the sun when its phase angle—the angle between the sun, Venus and Earth—is 90°. During the phase, another half-illuminated Venus (like a half-moon) appears in the western sky after sunset.
Waning crescent phase of Venus: About a few weeks after its greatest eastern elongation, another thin, sickle-shaped Venus—a waning crescent phase of Venus—appears in the western sky after sunset. Each day, its illuminated area decreases but disk size increases until it becomes a new Venus.
References
Geocentric Ephemeris for Venus : 2026
Geocentric Ephemeris for Venus : 2027
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