Morning Star Contest - Venus Returns! (Naked-Eye Sighting Announced)

Special Edit: We have apparent winners in all three categories. Kudos to Christopher Faris (telescope & binoculars) and Dave Mitsky (naked-eye). Heartiest congratulations to both of these fine stargazers! See posts below.

Cheer Up! There is no need to bemoan the fact that Venus has left the evening sky and the transit is over. It will soon be reincarnated as the brilliant Morning Star. As such, it will remain in the pre-dawn eastern sky for more than half a year.

I propose 3 contests for 3 categories of observations:

1) Naked-Eye (Grand Prize)
2) Binoculars
3) Telescope

Below are listed Venus' elongation from the Sun and fraction illuminated as it will be seen around Sunrise in Chicago (05:15 CDT - 10:15 UT) for the remainder of June.

JUN Elongation Illumination
09 -- 01.7 degrees -- 00.04%
10 -- 03.3 degrees -- 00.2%
11 -- 04.9 degrees -- 00.4%
12 -- 06.5 degrees -- 00.6%
13 -- 08.0 degrees -- 01.0%
14 -- 09.6 degrees -- 01.4%
15 -- 11.1 degrees -- 01.8%
16 -- 12.6 degrees -- 02.4%
17 -- 14.0 degrees -- 03.0%
18 -- 15.5 degrees -- 03.6%
19 -- 16.8 degrees -- 04.3%
20 -- 18.2 degrees -- 05.0%
21 -- 19.5 degrees -- 05.8%
22 -- 20.8 degrees -- 06.6%
23 -- 22.0 degrees -- 07.4%
24 -- 23.2 degrees -- 08.3%
25 -- 24.4 degrees -- 09.2%
26 -- 25.5 degrees -- 10.1%
27 -- 26.6 degrees -- 11.0%
28 -- 27.6 degrees -- 11.9%
29 -- 28.6 degrees -- 12.8%
30 -- 29.6 degrees -- 13.8%

I have created a graphic of the eastern sky as seen from Chicago about 20 minutes before Sunrise. Click the link below:

http://www.curtrenz.com/astro2.html

The graphic may soon be replaced.

Please report your observations in this thread. Include details such as time (with zone noted) and location. Even reports of negative results will be appreciated. No prizes - just bragging rights.

Thanks. I went out this morning & scanned near the sun w/my Ranger on 18X. I was not able to see Venus. Located at Alexandria LA.

I believe the winner of the telescope sighting should be Johannes Schelder with his fantastic "diamond ring" shot from the transit!

http://www.astromart.com/forums/viewpost.asp?forum_post_id=220999&poll_id=&news_id=&page=

Carl,

I saw Venus rather easily with the naked-eye early this Sunday morning, 2004/6/27, at approximately 5:15 a.m. EDT (9:15 UT). Through an 8" f/6 Hardin Dob at 72x the planet presented itself as a thin crescent.

Dave Mitsky