This is the early-twilight scene –
– from page 37 of Astronomical Calendar 2023.
But Venus is now setting so long after the Sun that you can view it much later, in a darker sky.
Moon and planet will be closest on May 23 at 13h by Universal Time. That is about 10 hours after the time of our later-evening scene, thus in daylight for America and Europe.
The Moon will pass 2.2° north of Venus as seen from the center of the Earth, closer as seen from our northern latitudes. In our scenes, the Moon is drawn at twice its angular size, but in its correct position as seen from the location. But the arrows indicating the Moon’s motion from date to date are as seen from Earth’s center. This way, you can see the effect called parallax: displacement by the point of view, as when you hold your finger in front of you and look at it from one eye and the other.
In binoculars, you may see the crescent shape of Venus, like a tiny first-quarter Moon. In our picture it is exaggerated 150 times in size.
Venus is setting little more than an hour before midnight (for mid-northern latitudes, and by mean solar time, not the distorted “daylight-saving time” which calls 11 PM “12,” so that Venus would be setting at midnight – an absurdity for a planet nearer in toward the Sun). It will be at greatest eastern elongation on June 4 – farther out from the Sun, but setting a bit earlier because slightly farther south.
In this view from 15° north of the ecliptic plane, the paths of the planets are shown in May, and sightlines from Earth to Venus now and at the June 4 maximum of elongation. The Sun is exaggerated 4 times in size, the four inner planets 300 times. The dashed line is toward the vernal equinox direction, the zero point for mapping positions in the sky.
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Photos from last night (May 22 Eastern Time) https://bkellysky2.wordpress.com/2023/05/23/red-moon-and-venus/
Venus and the Moon are lucking stunning this evening (23 May) in the crystal clear autumnal Sydney sky. The crescent shape of Venus is clearly visible through binoculars.
If one travels to high northern latitudes, Venus will be circumpolar this month. So a little further south and it will set at or near midnight true local time, even if the sun is still up. Check it on Heavens Above – always fun to have a play on that. From Sydney this is the worst E elongation for Venus in its 8 year cycle, insofar as the ecliptic is at a low angle to the horizon. It has arguably been only in the last few weeks the planet has become high enough to see it above the trees low in the NW as the Evening Star. Ah, the cycle of the seasons.