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Filters for Venus observing


tripleped

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Personally, I don't use a filter to view Venus.

I do try and catch it when there is as much daylight still in the sky as possible though and, for me, that is the best time to observe the planet.

Seeing surface or cloud top features on Venus is very challenging I've found. 

 

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9 hours ago, tripleped said:

From where I’m at (39 degrees N) Venus is fairly decently positioned at dusk. What filters work best ?  Moon filter? Yellow? Without filters all I get is a bright blob, no hint of phases at all. 

There is some good information here, though like John and Craig, I’ve not used filters on Venus. Perhaps I should give it a go. I’ve never successfully seen any surface detail, I suspect this is related to how sensitive your eyes are in the UV end of the spectrum.

https://agenaastro.com/articles/guides/visual-and-imaging-filters/choosing-a-color-planetary-filter.html

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A variable polariser is a good choice to take the edge off the brightness for seeing the phase. Even a single polarising filter can help for this. For something a bit more specialised to spot cloud detail a number 47 Violet filter is the most recommended. Cloud detail is very difficult and with the filters above, the best I’ve managed is a maybe. Seeing the phase is much more achievable though. @mikeDnight has managed some stunning sketches of Venus and cloud detail. From memory, he uses a variable polariser. 

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