Make sure your telescope is ready for March 20 and Oct. 29 if you want to get a look at the quintessential planet of love. Venus reaches its greatest eastern elongation of 46.6 degrees from the sun on March 20, and its greatest western elongation of 47 degrees from the sun on Oct. 29, making these dates the best times to get a glimpse of the second-brightest natural object in Earth's night sky.