More Imaging Fun with Venus through telescope

Venus. 506 frames in Registax.

Venus. 261 frames in Registax.

Venus. 118 frames in Registax.

Planet Venus.
Illumination: 53%
Distance: 0.73 AU = 109,206,446 km
Magnitude: -3.96
One important thing should be known by Venus observers through a telescope. This planet, our Earth's sister only because of similar sizes, can not be seen fully lit as a "full moon", from Earth. Being closer to the Sun than Earth, Venus can be seen almost as a "full moon" but this is hampered by two factors: on that time Venus is too close to the Sun, at a very small angle, and thus the observation must be made only by day, and a second factor is the great distance from us at the time when the two planets are opposite one to another, with the sun in the middle.

It is not hard to imagine what I wrote above. It's easier if you look at a simulation program like Celestia, to see what it looks like when the planets are at different points in its orbit to the Sun.

Also, when Venus is seen as a "New Moon" through a telescope, it means it is closer to Earth in its orbit, on the same side, but even then can hardly be seen sometimes, if it is at a small angle to the Sun.

The best time to observe Venus is when in our sky is as far as possible from the Sun, and usually in those moments is seen as a "crescent", as shown above, the end of March 2012 being the best time for the observation and photograph of this beautiful planet.
 Images are processed in Registax.

Optics: Celestron C8-Newtonian telescope, 20mm Plossl, 2x Barlow
Mount: CG5 (EQ5)
Camera: Sony CX130
Filter: no
Date: 24.03.2012
Location: Baia Mare, Romania
Processing: Images in Registax, FastStone Image Viewer

Posted in: Gallery-Registax,Planets-Venus