Steve:
Venus is low in your western sky at 5pm your time based on the sky map here
http://www.space.com/snserver/snweb....th&Explore=No& It will appear as a very bright star regardless of its current crescent shape.
burgundia:
No but the comet pictured below sure looks like the Hopi Blue Star

More info here-->
http://www.space.com/spacewatch/0902...met-lulin.html