Is that bright object near the moon the last few nights Venus?
You are right, it is Venus that has been near the moon the last couple of nights. You can still see Venus near the moon but not as close for the next several nights (weather permitting) just after sunset. The two are growing further apart and both Venus and the moon will be setting around 9-10 o’clock. This does happen quite often, usually it is Venus or Jupiter that we see near the moon in the night sky. If you check out http://www.skyandtelescope.com/ they have a wealth of information on the stars. Their interactive sky chart will show you everything that is in the sky any day of the year. You just have to tell it where you are and then you can scroll time to see when and where things will appear in the sky.
