Astronomy News: 5 Reasons to watchout for Venus this Valentine's Day

• The enchanting light of this planet, the brightest object after the Sun and  Moon, earnt Venus its name. Its luminosity is so great that under a dark sky, it allows you to see your shadow; an effect no other planet can offer.
• In fact, due to its brightness, people have sometimes mistaken it for a UFO and as per Ripley's Believe it or Not, it was once erroneously considered an aircraft and signalled to land!
•  Unlike other planets that rotate from west to east, Venus rotates on its axis from east to west. So if you're on Venus, you'll see the sun rise from west and set in the east!
• While most planets have phases like the moon: first quarter, new, crescent, gibbous, full and so on... No other planet's phases are as discernable as Venus' due to their lower luminosity.
• Venus (and Mercury), unlike other planets that are visible all night, can only be seen in the morning or evening due to their proximity to the Sun. Interestingly, Venus can be viewed for the same duration at both the times.

Viewing Tips
At present and until the start of August, Venus is going to be so bright that you can't miss it even if you view it with the naked eye. The best way to locate it is by facing the setting sun, and looking right above it for a very bright, non-twinkling star. A telescope will enable you to see its phases and other features.