MUSCAT: Venus will reach peak brightness in Oman’s evening sky on Tuesday, appearing as a brilliant point of light visible to the naked eye, even in areas with light pollution.
Wisal bint Salem al-Hinai of the Oman Astronomy and Space Society said the planet will reach an apparent magnitude of about −4.8. It will appear as the brightest planet in the sky and the third-brightest celestial object seen from Earth after the Sun and Moon.
Al-Hinai said Venus will appear as a thin crescent through a telescope. Its peak brightness occurs when it is relatively close to Earth and enough of its sunlit surface remains visible.
Venus will continue to appear after sunset in the coming weeks, but it will move lower towards the western horizon, shortening the time available to see it. It will become difficult to observe around October 24 before gradually reappearing in the dawn sky. Al-Hinai advised viewers to choose a location with a clear western horizon.
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