Cloud Detail on Venus, at last!

[orion25]

After over two weeks of rain and cloud, I finally get a clear night, and I take full advantage of it! As some of you know, I've been chasing after details on Venus for quite a while now, but I've been shy about shelling out the big bucks to get the necessary filters. Ca-K and UV filters can get pricey, so I chose to be creative and try imaging Venus with my Meade Series 4000 Variable Polarizing Filter to cut some of the glare. In the past, I've been able to see some evidence of detail visually with the filter, but I was never 100% sure of whether what I was seeing was wishful thinking (or "seeing") or actual cloud features. Last evening answered my questions - the filter DOES allow you to see detail on Venus, through a 127mm Mak, even at mags approaching 170X. I could easily see detail near the central region of the onion planet from my 25mm EP right down to my 9mm. And what's more, I was able to image using the filter, pulling out amazing detail with processing in Registax 6 using video shot on my Orion Deep Space Cam II (the analog version)! Here is the result:

 

I was floored at the result! ???

 

NEW IMAGE, ADDED 3 June:

Here is another image from the same video, processed in Registax 6 to bring out darker features

Cheers,

Reggie

[Ronclarke]

Great result, well done! 

[Knighty2112]

Well done Reggie. Great work mate! Smashing image!  

[jabeoo1]

There must be some chaos going on in that atmosphere.  Well done great shooting. 

[Sunshine]

Every time i look at venus for a whole 3 seconds its like aiming at a flashlight and thats it, amazing you captured detail!

[orion25]

3 hours ago, Ronclarke said:

Great result, well done! 

Thanks, Ron!  

[orion25]

2 hours ago, Knighty2112 said:

Well done Reggie. Great work mate! Smashing image!  

Thanks, Gus!  

[orion25]

2 hours ago, jabeoo1 said:

There must be some chaos going on in that atmosphere.  Well done great shooting. 

Venus is such a mystery. I'm really excited about getting any cloud detail  

[orion25]

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

Every time i look at venus for a whole 3 seconds its like aiming at a flashlight and thats it, amazing you captured detail!

Thanks! For me, the key is using a polarizer to dim Venus enough to see the detail. Right now is a good time to look for it since it is in a gibbous phase. It also helps if you look during twilight, before the sky gets too dark. The contrast in a dark sky can be overwhelming.

[Kokatha man]

Well done Reggie..!

[orion25]

1 hour ago, Kokatha man said:

Well done Reggie..!

Thanks! I was determined to get some detail without having to buy expensive filters

[MarsG76]

Great capture... you might have some cloud details there.....

I use the UVenus filter to capture cloud detail but visually I too think that by using  polarizer that I saw some shading on venus.... and thats ore than once, so I dare say that its more than wishful thinking and you did see some cloud top shading.

[Pete Presland]

Interesting observations with the polarizer, I think I might have to invest in one. Totally agree about observing/imaging in daylight, all my best views/images have been well before dark.

[orion25]

Thanks for all the replies! Using a variable polarizer to extract detail on Venus has been very exciting for me and I encourage everyone to try it  

[orion25]

7 hours ago, Pete Presland said:

Interesting observations with the polarizer, I think I might have to invest in one. Totally agree about observing/imaging in daylight, all my best views/images have been well before dark.

Check this one out:

[orion25]

12 hours ago, MarsG76 said:

Great capture... you might have some cloud details there.....

I use the UVenus filter to capture cloud detail but visually I too think that by using  polarizer that I saw some shading on venus.... and thats ore than once, so I dare say that its more than wishful thinking and you did see some cloud top shading.

Thanks, Mars! I'm glad that I wasn't hallucinating cloud detail, lol.

[Stub Mandrel]

I'm impressed.

If the evil tree wasn't in my way, I'd have a go with my Wratten 47, which is a very deep blue-violet.

[orion25]

49 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

I'm impressed.

If the evil tree wasn't in my way, I'd have a go with my Wratten 47, which is a very deep blue-violet.

Thanks, Neil. I was surprised at how much detail was extracted in Registax. Visually, I could easily see variations near the equator with the polarizer, but I haven't always been able to. I guess the clouds have rotated to reveal more features at this time (?). I find between just after sunset and twilight to be the best time to observe, to cut down on the glare. The Wratten 47 should yield some interesting results.

[MarsG76]

9 hours ago, orion25 said:

Thanks, Mars! I'm glad that I wasn't hallucinating cloud detail, lol.

Either you're not or we both are!!!

[orion25]

Thanks for all the replies!   

Clear skies!

Reggie 

[U Cyg]

Well done Reggie. :)

Angie

[orion25]

5 minutes ago, U Cyg said:

Well done Reggie.

Angie

Thanks, Angie. It's amazing what you can achieve with a simple polarizing filter

[Eastman]

Amazing results Reggie, both of them.

 

[Stub Mandrel]

According to this New Scientist article (about using polarised light to study exoplanets), measurements of polarised light from Venus showed it to have  sulphuric acid clouds. Apparently particles in the atmosphere scatter the light and polarise it, so it would make sense for your polariser to hbighlight clouds but... are eth clouds the dark bits or the light bits?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8324-polarised-light-may-reveal-hidden-exoplanets/

[orion25]

6 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

According to this New Scientist article (about using polarised light to study exoplanets), measurements of polarised light from Venus showed it to have  sulphuric acid clouds. Apparently particles in the atmosphere scatter the light and polarise it, so it would make sense for your polariser to hbighlight clouds but... are eth clouds the dark bits or the light bits?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn8324-polarised-light-may-reveal-hidden-exoplanets/

I think they're both, since we can't see the surface, but maybe the polarizer highlights the dark bits more (?) My guess, at least. I've seen wedge-like shapes on NASA images of Venus and I can see some of that of in my pictures. Thanks for the link!