Venus at greatest western elongation, 4 January 2027
Venus is 47° from the Sun — the best time to find it low in the east before sunrise.
When
What it is
Mercury and Venus orbit inside the Earth’s orbit, so they never stray far from the Sun. At greatest elongation the angle is at its widest and the planet is easiest to see.
How to see it
Look east 30–60 minutes before sunrise with a clear, low horizon. Venus is the brightest point in the sky after the Moon.
Check the clouds for that night
See also
Quadrantids meteor shower 2027
Peak night, up to 120 meteors an hour under a dark sky. The Moon is almost out of the way — a good year.
Supermoon: Wolf Moon, 22 January 2027
The full Moon is near perigee (357,644 km), so it looks up to 7% bigger and 15% brighter than average.
Mercury at greatest eastern elongation, 16 June 2026
Mercury is 24.5° from the Sun — the best time to find it low in the west after sunset.
Mercury at greatest western elongation, 2 August 2026
Mercury is 19.5° from the Sun — the best time to find it low in the east before sunrise.
Venus at greatest eastern elongation, 15 August 2026
Venus is 45.9° from the Sun — the best time to find it low in the west after sunset.