Daytime Venus

Started by AlanFrench, 03/18/2017 08:15PM
Posted 03/18/2017 08:15PM Opening Post
I've been having a lot of fun watching Venus for the past few weeks. I look from the deck on the east side of our house, safely set up in the house's shadow, when Venus is due south and highest. Today's 2.7% illuminated Venus was lovely.

I also catch it in the western sky just after sunset. The crescent is easy in 12x36 IS binoculars and visible in 8x32 binoculars if they are steadily held.

Clear skies, Alan
Posted 03/20/2017 08:17PM | Edited 03/20/2017 08:52PM #1
Caught Venus again around 1:15 p.m. EDT. Since I have almost no shade left to the east of the house where I can't sweep up the Sun yet can see Venus, I moved to the north end of the house. There I can set up where the Sun is moving deeper into the roof while Venus remains in view and passes above the peak. I quit when the Sun was getting close to emerging from the west side of the peak (and kept a very careful eye on that possibility).

Started looking about 1:00 but had to wait for some high clouds to move away. After they did Venus was found quite quickly. A exquisite crescent against the blue sky, and a steadier view than I had just after sunset yesterday when Venus was only a bit over 11 degrees above the horizon.

Clear skies, Alan