It's pretty bright, but usually appears too close to the Sun to be seen. It usually goes through 3-4 periods per year where it can be seen after sunset (and si

It's pretty bright, but usually appears too close to the Sun to be seen. It usually goes through 3-4 periods per year where it can be seen after sunset (and similar for periods before sunrise). You can use a planet rise and set chart to find periods when it will be most visible. Shameless plug [1] for an Android app I wrote that does this. Unfortunately we're just now leaving a period where it could be seen after sunset. You'll be able to see it before sunrise in lat Aug/Sep, or after sunset around late Oct/Nov. It will be easier to find if you use binoculars first, then try with the naked eye once you know where to look. Another interesting thing now is that you can see Venus before the sun sets. If you've never seen it before, find the location one night well after sunset, then look in about the same place the next night a few minutes before sunset. It's currently getting closer to the sun, so it will get harder to spot before sunset each day, but will remain obvious in the night sky until late Sept. [1] https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.principiaprogramatica.planetrisesetgraph https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.principiap...