... Credit: Dan Bush ( Missouri Skies ) Explanation: If you've been outdoors near sunset, then you've probably noticed Venus low in the west as the brilliant evening star . Sometimes mistaken for a tower light near the horizon, Venus is the third brightest celestial beacon, after the Sun and Moon, in planet Earth's sky. ... As this season's evening star, Venus will be at its most brilliant tonight, but as December progresses the bright planet will begin to fall out of the western sky. ... December . ...