What general path do planets, including Venus, follow across the sky throughout the year?
Answer
The ecliptic
The location of planets across our sky is generally predictable because their orbits are mostly confined to a single plane that passes through the Sun and Earth. This plane defines the ecliptic, which is the apparent path the Sun traces across the celestial sphere over the course of a year. While some bright stars happen to lie near this path, the defining characteristic for identifying solar system bodies like Venus is their adherence to the ecliptic, especially when combined with other clues like steady light and proximity to the horizon around sunset or sunrise.
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What's That Bright Star in the Sky? It's Not a Star, It's Venus - YouTube
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