Inferior conjunction offers a rare chance to spy Venus at its closest approach.

Where have all the planets gone? Late October 2026 sees a decided dearth of planets in the dusk sky, with only bashful Mercury receding from view, and Saturn fresh off of opposition . Venus, the former lucida of the evening is now lost from view, taking the plunge sunward. But this vanishing act allows for a dramatic transformation this weekend, as our nearest planetary neighbor brushes past the Sun and transitions into the dawn sky.

We call this passage of an innermost planet versus the Earth inferior conjunction, as it crosses between our planet and the Sun. Venus crosses this point on Saturday, October 24th at 4:00 Universal Time (UT).…