I'm an early, pre-dawn riser and I also could not help but notice this intensely bright orb gleaming in the eastern sky...so bright it literally grabs at one's peripheral vision and demands attention. Since there is an airport nearby, I first thought it might be a low, incoming plane, but of course, a few seconds watching determined it wasn't. I then thought it must be a planet, but had to think about which one it might be at this time of year. Generally, Venus is more noticeable in the western sky - the 'evening star' in the summer months. So bright now though, that it remains distinctly visable well into the dawning. Very beautiful.