Venus, Jupiter & the Moon: 3 brightest targets

Event Date: March 25th
Time: 7:25(.51) PM *official Sunset time  

Brief

Venus is the dominating "star" in the western sky for the next two months, and will become even more so for two reasons during that time:
(1) Jupiter, paired nicely with the waxing crescent Moon this evening as shown in image 1, is sinking rapidly into atmospheric pollution and the glare of the Sun.

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Jupiter will eventually go behind the Sun and out of our sight.  When the two are at the same right ascension, that is called conjunction. 

(reason #2)
Venus will continue to brighten--although not too noticeably by looking at it--as it becomes closer to us in orbit.  As an inner planet, Venus is catching up with Earth, the same way that we catch up with planets Mars through Neptune.  As a result of the difference in distance between Venus' two types of conjunction, inferior and superior, we have seen it already increase in angular size, and will continue to further.  As it does so, the extra disc-area of reflected Sunlight to our eyes makes it seem brighter.  I will talk about that in detail more tomorrow, yet to follow, here is some other information about Venus this evening.

Detailed

Since December, Venus has become slightly brighter each evening, and easier to see above the horizon, becoming slightly more north of the Sun each day.  The planet is a little over 44º in altitude, almost exactly halfway between the horizon and zenith.  As a result, if a viewer gets a telescope on Venus during this hour, especially if there is little of no wind, Venus could look very still.  That is, it would be without the "ripple" that we see when close to the horizon, within atmospheric pollution.  Venus is only two days away greatest elongation (g.e.), for when it is at its furthest from the Sun in separation.  Since it reached perihelion a little less than a week ago, this g.e. will not have it quite as separated as when such happens at aphelion-- its furthest distance from the Sun in orbit; the aphelion happens in about 3 1/2 months, when Venus starts to re-emerge as a morning target in the early summer sky.  Sticking with the evening showing for now, Venus' difference in northern latitude (declination) with the Sun is also contributing to the greatest "gap" in set times for both for the remainder of the month: the Sun at 7:25 PST, and Venus, a late 11:20, meaning 3 hours, 55 minutes.  The largest gap is a minute extra, occurring during the month's last days and into the first few of April.  During this time, Venus continues to move far enough north on the celestial dome to stay above the horizon, and long enough to maintain the maximum gap.  Eventually, as it starts to move back towards the Sun, while the Sun continues to move north on our celestial dome, the gap will shrink gradually, yet rapidly by late May and early June.
   Image 2, representing much of what I said here in this section, includes the Moon and planets' orbits, along with the ecliptic and celestial equator:

*click on images to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

These latter two guidelines were introduced when I showed the Sun at equinox last week, and the angle they make with each other will continue to change more and more quickly with each passing week.  Finally, I included a grid for altitude, representing Venus being as high above the horizon as it is for the time of Sunset.  For our altitude, it is about as high as we ever see it, with the favorable geometry at this time of year in the western sky.  All three bodies are still well-north of the Sun, although that changes at various dates for both: first for the Moon, then Jupiter, and then as mentioned, for Venus.