Venus (barely there) with iPhone 15/08/23

[PeterStudz]

I had hoped to observe Venus (daylight of course) just before or on inferior conjunction. But the weather had other ideas. Yesterday there were breaks in the seemingly endless cloud and it was a possibility to at least see the now thin crescent.  Which would be a first for me. Although it’s rather close to the sun and if it didn’t work out I wasn’t going to push it!

Started off doing some white light solar at about mid-day, which I hadn’t done in a while. The sun in and out of fair weather clouds. Then it almost completely clouded over and I had to take a break. Now I wasn’t sure it would happen at all. At around 14:40 the clouds started and I had a chance. Could just about make out Venus in my finder. It’s obviously larger than before but so thin that it’s tricky. The thin crescent looking stunning through a BST StarGuide 15mm and the capture doesn’t do it justice. Mind, conditions not ideal with some “boiling” - in the past I’d been lucky and it probably would have been better earlier on (higher in the sky) if there hadn’t been so much cloud.

Took some iPhone video. Quickly processed/stacked using the app VideoStack. That’s my last Venus for a while. I’ve got images since February and I might but some together in a composite. 

Skywatcher Skyliner 200p Dob on DIY EQ platform in back garden, Southampton. BST StarGuider 15mm. iPhone 14 Pro attached to a no-brand smartphone adapter. Video taken at about 14:50 - 4K at 60fps using stock camera app at x2 zoom. All processing on the phone using the stock camera app, stacked via VideoStack. Cropped and edited in SnapSeed plus Lightroom.

 

[Mandy D]

Wow!

[bosun21]

Nice capture Peter👍.

[Kon]

Looks great and you are brave without a goto to find it so close to the sun.

[PeterStudz]

7 minutes ago, Kon said:

Looks great and you are brave without a goto to find it so close to the sun.

I used a phone app - PS Align Pro which has a PushTo feature and from past experience always has Venus in my finder. First I go to the sun (filter on, finder covered of course), sync to the sun, then PushTo Venus, uncover the finder, center Venus, then remove the solar filter. When I’ve found Venus I also tighten up the altitude knobs on the 200p so it can’t accidentally move up/down. Once Venus is centred in the eyepiece I track with the EQ platform so I don’t  need to fiddle with too much nudging. It also has the advantage that focusing has been done as I’ve already focused on the sun. 

[Pete Presland]

Excellent capture, I was hoping to capture it before I went on holiday.the weather and time also had other ideas !

Interesting to here your technique for location as well.