Why isn Venus brightest when closest to the earth?
There are times when Venus outshines every star in the dark, velvety sky. There are times when the golden planet comes within 26 million miles of us, closer than any other planet. You would expect it to shine its brightest during its closest approaches. Not at all. At its closest point to earth,Venus becomes invisible. When our sister planet is closest to the earth, it is passing between us and the sun. The side opposite from us is facing the sun and bathed in radiant daylight. The side facing us is shrouded in the dark shadows of night, and Venus is invisible from the earth. There are times when we see the full daylit surface of Venus, but at these times the golden planet is on the far side of its orbit. The sun is between us, shining full on the side that is facing the earth.
