Double visibility of Venus in March 2025: what it is, where and at what time to look

In March, residents of some regions of Russia will be able to observe an unusual astronomical phenomenon — the double visibility of Venus. From March 17th to 21st, the planet will appear in the sky at both sunrise and sunset. This happens only once every eight years. Read about the remarkable nature of the "double" Venus and where it can be seen in the Izvestia article.

What is the double visibility of Venus?

Venus is one of the brightest objects in the starry sky. It is visible almost all year round, but it is not always possible to admire it. Usually, for an observer on Earth, the planet is located either east or west of the Sun. In the first case, it will be possible to see it only in the morning, and in the second — only in the evening. Therefore, Venus is also called the "morning" or "evening star."

However, once every eight years, due to the slight inclination of Venus' orbit and its proximity to Earth, the planet turns out to be north of the Sun and passes over it. As a result, residents of the Northern Hemisphere can observe both the "morning" and "evening" stars in one day.

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The double visibility of Venus occurs due to the features of the movement of our planet. In the Northern Hemisphere, the closer an astronomical object is visually to the North Pole, the earlier it rises and later it sets. The same thing happens with the Sun: when it moves from the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere, the day begins to increase as the sun moves north.

During double visibility, Venus is located north of the Sun, so it rises above the horizon earlier and falls later. Due to this, it can be seen twice as often.

Double visibility of Venus in March 2025: where and at what time can you see

In 2025, the period of double visibility of Venus will last from March 17 to March 21. These days, you can observe the planet from about 05:00 to 06:00 in the morning and from 19:00 to 20:00 in the evening local time. At dawn, the celestial body will appear in the east near the horizon, and after dark — high in the west. Special applications can be used to determine the exact location of the "star".

The "double" Venus will be visible in the middle latitudes, so it will not be possible to admire it in all regions of Russia. Residents of Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and some other cities will be able to see it.

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Finding Venus in the sky is easy even with the naked eye. However, astronomers recommend using an amateur telescope or binoculars, because in March 2025, the surface of the planet is illuminated by the Sun by only 3%, which makes it look like a thin crescent. However, it will be possible to notice this only with the help of magnifying devices — for the "naked" observer, the planet will remain just a bright dot.

The chance to see this phase of Venus also comes once every eight years. The next time it will turn into a month is only in 2033. Until March 25, the telescope can also see the "horns" of Venus — the elongated ends of the crescent, which arise from a dense and mobile layer of clouds in the upper atmosphere of the planet.

From March 17 to March 21, the evening visibility of Venus will gradually decrease until the planet finally switches to the "morning star" mode.

Earlier, Izvestia reported on the spring eclipse corridor and its impact on humans.