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You are here: Home / Space / Why Does the Planet Venus Have Phases Like Mercury and Why Does Venus Sometimes Appear As a Crescent?

Why Does the Planet Venus Have Phases Like Mercury and Why Does Venus Sometimes Appear As a Crescent?

March 3, 2020 by Karen Hill

Because both Venus and Mercury are inferior planets, lying between Earth and the Sun, they exhibit phases, just like the Moon does, as they orbit the Sun.

Venus is full during superior conjunction, on the other side of the Sun from Earth, and new during inferior conjunction, between the Sun and Earth.

As it cycles from full to new, it appears as a crescent growing thinner with each passing night.

From new to full, the planet’s crescent waxes, or grows wider, and Venus appears brighter.

Related Facts

  • What Are the Phases of the Planet Mercury and Why Do Inferior Planets Have Phases Like the Moon?
  • How Hot Does the Planet Mercury Get and Does the Planet Mercury Have an Atmosphere?
  • What Effect Does the Atmosphere Have On the Planet Venus and Why Is Venus Hotter Than Mercury?
  • What Does Mercury's Orbit Look Like From Earth and How Often Does the Planet Mercury Orbit the Sun?
  • Why Are There So Many Impact Craters On the Planet Mercury and How Many Surface Craters Does Mercury Have?
  • What Is the Most Obvious Physical Feature On the Planet Mercury and How Many Impact Craters Does Mercury Have?

Filed Under: Space

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How Often Does Venus Transit the Sun and Why Doesn’t Venus Transit the Sun With Every Revolution?
Next Post: Why Aren’t There Many Impact Craters On the Planet Venus and Why Do Most Small Asteroids Burn Up? »

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