Venus - what a show!

[josefk]

These are not much to write home about as sketches but boy oh boy Venus has been enjoyable this spring and summer! i thought i'd put a few sketches of the changing phase all in one place:

7th April, daylight observation, 14.5" and 75% illuminated, some cloud details seen (especially with a #47 violet filter fitted):

 

 

19th May, twilight observation, 20" and 58% illuminated (no cloud detail on this observation through any colour filter):

 

24th June, twilight observation (spotting scope), 30.6" and 36.8% illuminated, beautiful bright cusps (atmospheric dispersion illustrated in the little view). This observation on 24.06 was fantastic because the moon naked eye and Venus through the scope were nearly a perfect match in phase:

 

30th June, twilight observation (spotting scope), 33.4" and 32.3% illuminated (very beautiful bright southern cusp and lovely soft terminator):

 

4th July, late twilight observation (binos), 35.5" and 29% illuminated but this is the binocular conjunction with Mars on this day where "a slim phase" was as precise as i could be at x15. Really fantastic through bin's and naked eye.

 

A very brief observation 27th July with the spotting scope, low altitude at <10-degrees and against a bright horizon so a little bit tricky, large though at 50.5" and 8.9% illuminated.

 

Another very brief observation just now, noon, 6th August with the spotting scope, drop dead lovely at just 2.4% illuminated and "huge" at 56.3". The leading edge of the limb was a brilliant bright white with a soft and fading taper around to the cusps. I couldn't detect any cusp extension past the halfway mark. Unfortunately cloud stopped play after just a few minutes.

What are the chances for clear spells this week around the time of the inferior conjunction? It would be a super way to wrap up this little series... 🤞🤞

Edited August 6, 2023 by josefk

[JeremyS]

Splendid sketches and a nice record of the apparition 👍🏻

[josefk]

Thanks @JeremyS - I've really enjoyed it/am enjoying it. Swapping from disappointing nighttime or at least late evening observations in previous years to these more or less daytime moments this time around has been the trick I needed to learn to get the best out of it.

[Naughty Neal]

Thankyou for posting these .

[josefk]

...and we're back on the other side 😃. I haven't had daylight opportunity for Venus since the inferior conjunction till today but today was great and it's great to be able to continue a series of observations - somehow the whole is greater than the parts and i'm having a blast. This observation is at 11:00 - 12:00 BST.

No cloud detail to see today but a lovely soft terminator, bright limb, bright cusps and hint of thicker brightness on the North East quadrant round to the cusp. 

Quite breezy (shaking my lightweight tripod a bit) so x169 was a good middle ground magnification but it was steady enough 90% of the time to be really useful and the sky itself was very steady.

Using filters with the TOE eyepieces; #15 Dark Yellow really emphasised the cusps, #23a Light Red felt like the best aid to observation and really revealed/emphasised a very slow graduation in brightness from the terminator (not just a soft edge to it), #82a Light Blue was very naturalistic and gave a very steady view. #38a Dark Blue and #47 Violet were way to dark. Too much for this aperture maybe? (3.3").

[Kon]

I completely missed your post on Venus. What cracking set of drawings and details you managed to pull visually.

Regarding your last observation, you are spot on. This was my UV image yesterday, and you can see the brighter limbs that you referred to. Hats off to your observing skills and sketches.

 

Edited September 22, 2023 by Kon

[josefk]

Thank you @Kon for the kind words and also the validation of your image from the same period. I really like that back-up because these “details” to the eye are brightness on bright so easy to wonder if they’re optical illusions! Your image is also great. Cheers

[mikeDnight]

I love your sketches, but I also love what you said about the whole being greater than the parts, and that you're "having a blast!" That's really what its all about for me and its great to know you feel the same. There's no cure you know!!

[Nicola Fletcher]

Thank you very much for posting your sketches and descriptions. They’re fantastic! I really like the idea of using blue paper for twilight. Your whole post is very inspiring.

[Mr Spock]

Some great stuff here. Venus is not as boring as some people think! Sadly I can't see the morning version due to whare the house is, but I can't wait for it to come round to the evening 👍

[josefk]

Thank you @mikeDnight - i wish i could have gotten closer to just a day or so either side of the conjunction but i value my eyesight too highly to take any chances and befroe the conjunction i couldn't arrange things safely and just after it was cloudy. I think the engagement is greater following a series of something and enjoying the progression or development of something over a shortish period of time. It will be variable stars next 🙂 !

[josefk]

Thank you @Nicola Fletcher - these are my own aide memoir so the blue triggers the memory of the view through the eyepiece. I am probably going to get a bit of red card too for filtered views!  Tongue only half in cheek.

[josefk]

Thanks @Mr Spock - TBH i have @mikeDnight to thank for triggering me to get out in daylight. Why of why i have never tried that before i have no idea. In daylight it has been very rewarding.