This is likely visible only with optical assistance, such as through binoculars or a small telescope.  WARNING!  NEVER POINT BINOCULARS OR TELESCOPE DIRECTLY AT THE SUN!   Such activity can cause permanent damage to your vision and/or the optical device.

As Venus rapidly disappears into the sun’s brightness during the next few weeks of March, it is visible in the morning sky and evening sky with optical assistance.  (Not to be redundant, but heed the warning above.)

Venus reaches inferior conjunction on March 25, 2017.  At this time Venus moves between the Earth and the sun.  Because the orbits  of the planets line nearly in a plane, but not a perfect one, Venus does not move directly across the face of the sun.  It either passes above or below the sun.

At this conjunction, Venus is about 8 degrees above or north of the sun.  When an object is north…