The bright star near the moon in The Starry Night is commonly identified as Venus. More precisely, it is the brilliant “morning star” that Van Gogh described seeing before sunrise while staying at the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence.
Venus is not a star but a planet. It can appear exceptionally bright because it is relatively close to Earth and is covered by highly reflective clouds. In the painting, the luminous object is positioned left of center, while the crescent moon appears toward the upper right.
Astronomical research indicates that Venus was visible in the dawn sky over Provence around the time Van Gogh painted the work in June 1889. That correspondence supports the identification, although the painting is not a precise astronomical chart. Van Gogh altered the moon’s appearance and arranged the sky for visual and emotional impact.
The phrase “morning star” causes frequent confusion. It is a traditional nickname for Venus when the planet appears before sunrise, not evidence that the object is an actual star. Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars can also be bright, but they are not the standard identification here.