Venus, the second planet from the Sun, is the easiest planet to find because it is brilliant, outshining all the other planets and stars in the night sky. Only the moon is brighter. Since Venus alternates between being visible before sunrise and after sunset, it has been known from antiquity as both the Morning Star and the Evening Star.
How long is Venus visible? As the second planet from the sun, Venus can reach a much greater maximum elongation (angular distance from the sun in our sky) than Mercury. So it can be visible for hours each night and for months at a time.
Through a telescope, Venus appears as a very bright, featureless, orb. However, look closely and you'll see phases much like Earth's moon. As an Evening Star, it often appears in First Quarter, and, as a Morning Star, in Last Quarter.
Look for a brilliant, yellowish-white orb on the ecliptic. To confirm, use binoculars or a telescope to view the current phase but keep far from the sun to be safe.
* Venus increases its angular separation from the sun all month (34° to 40°).
* But Venus is losing altitude as the ecliptic rises less steeply into the sky during summer.
* Best viewing will be in the 1st half of the month but it will still be quite good in the 2nd half.
* The next maximum elongation will be on August 17 (45°).
* A crescent moon passes Venus on June 16th (see above).
Venus (June, 2018) 
