What happens to Venus's apparent brightness and shape as it moves back toward the Sun in the sky after passing its greatest elongation?

Answer

It grows dimmer and shifts phase from a gibbous shape toward a crescent shape.

After the date of greatest elongation passes, Venus moves back toward the Sun, growing dimmer as it shifts phase from a gibbous shape to a crescent shape relative to Earth.

What happens to Venus's apparent brightness and shape as it moves back toward the Sun in the sky after passing its greatest elongation?
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