Starwatch: look out for Venus blazing brightly in inconspicuous Pisces

The evening star will serve as a handy signpost for identifying the often unnoticed constellation

Having reached its highest point in the evening sky last week Venus is beginning to move back towards the sun. But before it disappears from view in March, it will continue to put on a dazzling show.

It will blaze brightly on 16 February at a magnitude of -4.2, the brightest of this apparition. It will also still be high enough in the sky to be well visible several hours after the sun has set, when the sky is fully dark.