Starwatch: Saturn courts Venus in the evening sky

The two very different planets meet this week near the south-west horizon, before Saturn disappears behind the sun

Two very different planets meet in the evening near the south-western horizon this week. Venus is the nearest planet to the earth. It is almost identical to our planet in terms of size, yet its closer proximity to the sun has rendered it a hellish world, with surface temperatures greater than a kitchen oven. It is surrounded by highly reflective clouds, making it very bright indeed.