Why is Venus poorly observed during inferior conjunction despite being at minimum distance from Earth?
Answer
The Sun’s glare washes it out, and we view its night side.
During inferior conjunction, Venus passes directly between the Earth and the Sun, marking its minimum distance (as close as 42 million kilometers). However, observation is practically impossible for two significant reasons. First, the immense glare originating directly from the Sun completely overwhelms the faint light reflected by Venus. Second, and critically for visibility, at this specific alignment, Earth is looking at the planet's night side, as the fully illuminated dayside is facing the Sun and oriented away from us.
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