Skinny Venus Titchy Mars 8/3/17

[mikeDnight]

Venus is getting skinnier by the day and is a glorious sight in any scope.

I didn't imagine I'd have another chance at Mars but I was wrong. Tiny and difficult but good fun to follow.

Mike 

[John]

Nicely done Mike

What do you mean when you say integrated light against the Venus sketch ?

[David Smith]

Great sketches Mike. You could almost frame that as a work of art

[mikeDnight]

6 hours ago, John said:

Nicely done Mike

What do you mean when you say integrated light against the Venus sketch ?

Hi John,

No filters were used, just a white light view. The SPA planetary section under Ian Phelps used that term, though I always felt it a bit pointless myself. Sometimes I use it other times I don't. Really, unless filters are specifically stated I'd assume the observer hadn't used them. 

I rarely ever use filters on the planet's as I feel they hardly ever enhance anything. I usually see the detail better without them!

Mike

[John]

5 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Hi John,

No filters were used, just a white light view. The SPA planetary section under Ian Phelps used that term, though I always felt it a bit pointless myself. Sometimes I use it other times I don't. Really, unless filters are specifically stated I'd assume the observer hadn't used them. 

I rarely ever use filters on the planet's as I feel they hardly ever enhance anything. I usually see the detail better without them!

Mike

Thanks Mike.

I've tried different types of filters on the planets over the years and not really found any gains either. Even Tele Vue's quite pricey Bandmate Planetary filter didn't seem to do much other than to add a bubble gum pink tint to the image. Not my cup of tea !

[mariosi]

Very good sketches of Venus and Mars!

Marios

[John]

I managed to catch Venus this evening just before it sank behind the trees on our W boundary. Very slim crescent now - 8.9% illuminated I believe. Thats the skinniest that I can recall seeing it I think.

My wife thought she was looking at the moon when I showed her the view through the eyepiece at 69x

I pointed out that the moon was rising up behind her and was 90% plus illuminated right now.......

 

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, John said:

I managed to catch Venus this evening just before it sank behind the trees on our W boundary. Very slim crescent now - 8.9% illuminated I believe. Thats the skinniest that I can recall seeing it I think.

My wife thought she was looking at the moon when I showed her the view through the eyepiece at 69x

I pointed out that the moon was rising up behind her and was 90% plus illuminated right now.......

 

I can see how your wife thought she was looking at the moon, as Venus is so large at the moment.

In 2009, when I was competing with paulastro to follow Venus to its thinnest, I remember observing it on a few occasions during the day. I made sure that the Sun was hidden behind my house, so i couldn't accidentally sweep it into the field of view, then carefully swept the region of sky it was in until I found it. If you've nothing better to do with your time, its worth the effort. ?

Mike

[TheLookingGlass]

Excellent sketches! 

Love it! 

[Alan White]

Mike

Very pleasant and a s always skilled sketches.

 Venus is great now it's such a slim crescent, really enjoying Venus watching at present.

I am struggling with Mars now due to visible sky from my garden.