As darkness falls in late September, look for a brilliant object low in the west-southwestern evening sky. Venus appears brighter than anything in the sky except the Sun and the Moon. That helps it remain visible despite its low altitude. Starting in October and through the end of the fall, Venus will be increasingly easier to see in the southwestern sky.
On October 16, Venus passes 1.6° north of Scorpius’ brightest star, 1st-magnitude Antares. At magnitude –4.4, the planet appears more than 100 times brighter than the star. Can you detect the color difference between the two objects? Venus reflects light from the slightly yellowish Sun whereas the red supergiant Antares shines with an orange hue. The pair stands 10° above the horizon 45 minutes after sunset.