Venus at greatest brilliancy in September 2026
When it occurs: Venus will reach its greatest brilliancy—its peak brightness for this evening apparition—in late September 2026, when the planet will shine at magnitude –4.8.
Venus’s brightness, illuminated phase, and apparent diameter from September 18 to September 28, 2026, as seen from New York City at 7:00 p.m. local time.
| Date | Brightness* | Illuminated phase | Apparent diameter |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 18 | Magnitude –4.79 | 25.6% | 39.5″ |
| September 19 | Magnitude –4.79 | 24.7% | 40.1″ |
| September 20 | Magnitude –4.80 | 23.9% | 40.8″ |
| September 21 | Magnitude –4.80 | 23.0% | 41.4″ |
| September 22 | Magnitude –4.80 | 22.2% | 42.1″ |
| September 23 | Magnitude –4.80 | 21.3% | 42.8″ |
| September 24 | Magnitude –4.80 | 20.4% | 43.5″ |
| September 25 | Magnitude –4.80 | 19.6% | 44.2″ |
| September 26 | Magnitude –4.80 | 18.7% | 45.0″ |
| September 27 | Magnitude –4.79 | 17.8% | 45.7″ |
| September 28 | Magnitude –4.79 | 16.9% | 46.5″ |
(* more negative values indicate greater brightness.)
Visibility: Look for Venus, the brightest planet, near the southwestern horizon shortly after sunset. It will appear as a brilliant, steady point of light to the naked eye. It will disappear from the evening sky in early October 2026.
In the Northern Hemisphere, the planet’s visibility will suffer as the ecliptic—the path of the sun, moon, and planets across the sky—makes a narrow angle with the horizon on autumn evenings.
Through a telescope, Venus will appear as a waning crescent. Its illuminated phase will decrease from 25.6% to 16.9%, and its apparent diameter will increase from 39.5″ to 46.5″ between September 18 and September 28, 2026.
Venus will be in a favourable position when viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, where the ecliptic makes a steep angle (almost perpendicular) with the horizon on spring evenings. It is currently spring in the Southern Hemisphere.
Greatest brilliancy during crescent phase
Venus reaches its greatest brilliancy about five weeks before and after its inferior conjunction, during its crescent phase. At this time, the combination of Venus’s apparent diameter and its illuminated phase makes the planet appear brightest in our sky.
For example, Venus will reach its inferior conjunction—when it passes between the sun and Earth—on October 24, 2026. About five weeks before its inferior conjunction, during its waning crescent phase, Venus will appear brightest in the evening sky in late September 2026. Similarly, about five weeks after its inferior conjunction, during its waxing crescent phase, Venus will appear brightest in the morning sky in late November 2026.
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