When is the planet Venus visible? Venus sighting

Everyone knows that astronomical observations are carried out under cover of darkness, preferably away from bright city lights. However, you can see a lot of interesting things in the sky even in bright sunlight. And it's not just the Sun. During the day the Moon is perfectly visible, and with some skill you can even see and photograph some planets and spacecraft! The article contains many daytime photos and videos with various celestial objects.

Moon and Venus in daylight. Source: Astronomy Picture of the Day, .

I tried to refer to the authors of all the photographs I found for the article. The creators of YouTube videos are visible on YouTube itself. Where the author is not indicated, my own photos are used.

Sun

The most obvious object for daytime observations is the Sun, because it is not visible at night. You can only look at the Sun through a thick filter, otherwise you will damage your vision. You can make your own filter using a special film, or buy a ready-made glass filter. In rare cases, atmospheric haze forms a natural filter and large spots can be seen even with the naked eye. In this photo, a group of sunspots AR 2396 is visible below and to the left of the center of the disk.

Well, in a small telescope with a filter, sunspots look like this:

With the help of simple manipulations in a graphic editor, you can identify torches that are invisible to the eye - light structures surrounding spots.

At the top of the picture, to demonstrate the scale, I added an image of the Earth and the Moon in compliance with all proportions (diameter and mutual distance).

Moon

Many people don’t even realize that the Moon is clearly visible during the day. It can be seen almost every day, except for dates close to the new moon and full moon. The waxing Moon is visible in the second half of the day, the waning Moon in the first half of the day. Now there are good conditions for visibility of the waning moon; you can easily notice it in the morning on your way to work. You can even take a photo of the daytime Moon with your mobile phone:

Or on a digital point-and-shoot:

Through a telescope, lunar craters are visible during the day, and photographs against the blue sky look even more beautiful than night photographs with a boring black background.

By taking several pictures at intervals of a day, you can see not only phase changes but also librations.

And here is a record photograph of the narrowest crescent of the moon, taken by photographer Thierry Legault:

At the time of filming, the Moon was only four degrees from the Sun. To protect against light exposure, the photographer had to build the following device:

And finally, speaking of the Moon, how can one not remember solar eclipses during which the Moon passes in front of our main daylight body.

More images of the recent eclipse can be found in my article Watching the Solar Eclipse Together.

Venus

Venus during the day is more difficult to see than the Moon. The first photo in the article shows that its surface is much brighter than the surface of the Moon, but its size is small and with the naked eye you will only see a white dot. To see Venus during the day, check its current position in Stellarium or any other planetarium app. In most cases, it will be 20-50 degrees west or east of the Sun. Stand so that some building blocks the Sun from you but leaves visible the part of the sky where Venus is located. If you want to use binoculars or a telescope, be careful. When searching for a planet, always stay in the shadows to avoid accidentally looking at the Sun. A few weeks before or after the inferior conjunction, the crescent of Venus is best visible (and now is such a favorable time).

The narrow crescent is so bright that it shines through light clouds, which is clearly visible in the videos below.

Mars

Occasionally, during times of great opposition, Mars shines as brightly as the Moon Jupiter. True, during oppositions Mars is not visible during the day - it rises at sunset and sets at dawn. Therefore, during the day it can only be detected in this form:

Venus is the second planet solar system and the closest neighbor of the Earth. The distance between Venus and our planet is “only” 108,000,000 million kilometers. Therefore, scientists are considering Venus as one of the possible places for settlement. But a day on Venus lasts as long as an Earth year, and the sun rises in the west. The oddities of our amazing neighbor will be discussed in this review.

1. A day is equal to a year

A day on Venus is longer than a year. To be more precise, the planet rotates around its axis so slowly that a day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days, and a year lasts 224.7 Earth days.

2. Visible without a telescope

There are 5 planets that can be seen with the naked eye and not with a telescope. These are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

3. Size and orbit

Of all the planets in the solar system, Venus is most similar to Earth. Some call it Earth's twin because both planets have approximately the same size and orbit.

4. Floating cities

Recently, scientists have argued that cities that will float above the clouds of Venus may be the best choice for potential colonization of another planet. Although the surface of Venus is hellish, the conditions at an altitude of hundreds of kilometers (temperature, pressure and gravity) are almost ideal for humans.

In 1970, a Soviet interplanetary space probe landed on Venus. It became the first ship to land on another planet, and also the first to transmit data from there back to Earth. True, this did not last long (only 23 minutes) due to the extremely aggressive situation on the planet.

6. Surface temperature

As you know, the temperature on the surface of Venus is such that nothing living can survive there. There is also metallic snow here.

7. Atmosphere and voice

8. Surface gravity of planets

The surface gravity of Venus, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune is approximately the same. On average they account for 15% of Earth's gravity.

9. Volcanoes of Venus

Venus has more volcanoes than any other planet in the solar system. To be more precise, there are more than 1600 of them, most of which are active.

10. Atmospheric pressure

Needless to say, the atmospheric pressure on the surface of Venus is also, to put it mildly, unfriendly to people. To be more precise, it is about 90 times higher than sea level pressure on Earth.

11. Surface temperature

There is a real hell on the surface of Venus. Temperatures here can reach 470 degrees Celsius. It is not surprising that the Venera 7 probe lived so short.

12. Hurricanes of Venus

The winds on Venus keep up with the temperature in terms of extremes. For example, hurricanes with wind speeds of up to 725 km/h are not uncommon in the middle layer of clouds.

13. Sunrise in the West

No man-made object has survived on Venus for more than 127 minutes. That’s how long the Venera 13 probe lasted.

Scientists today are actively developing space theme. And recently they talked about.

Visibility and location of planets in the sky during the month.

June, the “brightest” month, is not very favorable to astronomical observations. If in the south the nights are simply short, then in temperate latitudes the period of white nights begins. The bright planets, the Sun and the Moon remain perhaps the only accessible objects for observation.

This year you can see all four in the June sky bright planets. Jupiter is visible in the first half of the month in the evenings in the west, beautiful Venus is visible throughout June in the mornings in the east. In the evenings, Mars and Saturn can be seen in the south and southwest. These two planets are the most convenient for observations in June.

But we will begin the review with Mercury, the planet closest to the Sun.

Mercury

Mercury moments before its occultation by the Moon in the daytime sky of Sochi on June 26, 2014.

The period of evening visibility of Mercury ends in early June. The planet closest to the Sun could be observed in the first days of the month low in the northwest for about half an hour after sunset, and only in the south, outside the zone of white nights. For almost the entire month of June, Mercury is in the sky near our day star and is therefore inaccessible for observation. On June 19, the planet enters into an inferior conjunction with the Sun, that is, it will pass between the Earth and the Sun, after which it moves into the morning sky.

On June 26, Mercury, being only 10° from the Sun in the sky, will be covered by the Moon. This interesting phenomenon will be observed in the Atlantic, America and Europe, in particular in the Crimea and Black Sea coast Caucasus. The coverage will begin around 5 pm, when the Moon and Sun will be in the western sky.

The brightness of Mercury will be about 2.5m, which, in principle, allows you to see the planet against a blue sky with a good amateur telescope. However, be extremely careful! Do not forget that the occultation will occur close to the Sun and star rays may accidentally enter the eyepiece and damage your vision! We would recommend that only experienced amateurs observe this phenomenon. For our part, we will try to publish interesting photos coverages, if any appear on the Internet.

Venus

Have you seen Venus this summer yet? In early June, the Morning Star rises about an hour before sunrise above the eastern (more precisely, above the northeast-east) part of the horizon.

However, the period of visibility of Venus is quite arbitrary: in Ukraine, Crimea and the Caucasus, the planet is currently visible for almost 1.5 hours, appearing in the dark sky. At the latitude of Moscow, the visibility period of Venus does not even reach an hour. Even further north, due to the white nights, even less. At the same time, the planet rises against the background of the morning dawn. But it can still be detected in St. Petersburg due to the high brightness of the planet (during June it stays around -4m). Note that when Venus rises, the color of which is generally white, it can appear red, orange and deep yellow, confusing the beginner. In this case, we are faced with the typical reddening of space objects near the horizon due to dust floating in the Earth's atmosphere.

What will happen in the sky with Venus during the month? It must be said that throughout June the planet has direct motion (that is, it moves against the background of stars in the same direction as the Sun, from west to east), moving along the constellation Aries. Venus gradually catches up with the star in the sky, but in June the distance decreases slightly - from 37 to 30 degrees. The position of the planet's rising point shifts slightly to the north.

30 degrees from the Sun is a very comfortable distance for observing such a bright planet in the predawn sky. However, in temperate latitudes and in the north, white nights intervene, which makes its observation somewhat difficult. But even in this case, as we said above, Venus can be seen quite easily with the naked eye, not to mention observations through a telescope or binoculars. Before sunrise, the planet manages to rise into the sky at the latitude of Moscow by approximately 10°, and at the latitude of Sochi - 15° above the horizon.

Perhaps it is after sunrise that June observations of Venus through a telescope will be the most interesting and productive. Already in the morning, the planet rises high enough above the horizon so that atmospheric turbulence does not distort the image in the eyepiece too much, and the low contrast between the blinding white Venus and the blue background of the sky often allows you to notice much more detail in the planet's cloud cover than usual.

During June, the apparent sizes decrease from 14 to 12 arcseconds, and the phase increases from 0.77 to 0.86. (The planet, following a smaller orbit, has overtaken the Earth and is now moving away from it, and in a few months will disappear behind the Sun.)

Venus and the Moon in the morning sky on June 24. The dimensions of the Moon are increased 4 times for clarity.

It must be said that during the day it is quite possible to see Venus with the naked eye. To do this, it is enough to isolate yourself from the bright Sun and look at a section of the sky 30° to the right of the star. In the first half of the day, Venus will be slightly higher than the Sun, in the second half, respectively, lower. Finally, on June 24, an excellent reference point for searching for Venus both before sunrise and in the daytime sky will be the “aging” Moon, whose narrow crescent will approach the planet to 3.5°.

Mars

2 months have already passed since the April opposition of Mars. The brightness and apparent size of the Red Planet have decreased significantly and continue to decrease rapidly. However, in June, Mars remains one of the most visible celestial bodies in the evening and night hours.

For the entire month, the planet is in the constellation Virgo, moving against the background of stars in the same direction as the Sun and gradually approaching Spica, the main star of the constellation Virgo. Mars appears in the evening twilight in the southwest at 25° above the horizon (at the latitude of Moscow). The planet can be distinguished from stars by its characteristic pinkish color and even glow (stars, as a rule, twinkle noticeably).

At the beginning of June, the visibility of Mars is about 4 hours, at the end - only 2 hours. The planet's brightness decreases from -0.5m to 0.0m, the diameter of the visible disk is from 11.9″ to 9.5″. Using a good amateur telescope with a lens of 120 mm or higher, you can find many interesting details on the planet’s disk - polar caps, dark and light areas, areas with various shades of yellow, red and even blue. And in modern digital photographs, the Mysterious Planet appears very impressive even today.

The planet Mars, photographed on May 7, 2014. The image clearly shows the northern polar cap, dark areas of the Chryse region and bright cirrus clouds.

Jupiter

Saturn, Moon, Mars and Jupiter on the evening of June 8th. In the evenings in the first half of June, Jupiter is visible in the rays of the evening dawn low in the northwest.

Having shone in our sky for almost a year, Jupiter ends its period of evening visibility in June. The planet moves in the same direction as the Sun, but being further from us than the daylight, it moves slower than the Sun against the background of stars. At the end of July, the Sun will catch up with Jupiter and the planet will again, as last year, move to the evening sky, where on August 18 there will be a remarkable rapprochement with Venus.

In the first half of June, Jupiter can be observed for about 2 hours in the evening twilight in the northwest (90° to the right of Mars); at the end of the month the planet actually disappears in the rays of the Sun.

Despite the fact that Jupiter is currently located near the point of its orbit farthest from Earth, the planet is so large that its brightness and size have not decreased too significantly compared to the winter period. In June, Jupiter's brightness is around -1.9m, and the diameter of the visible disk is about 32″. The planet is still clearly visible even in small telescopes; its observations will be much more hampered by its low position above the horizon and the bright background of the sky in temperate latitudes than by its distance from the Earth.

Saturn

The approach of the Moon and Saturn at midnight on June 11, 2014. Please note that Saturn, Mars and bright Star Arcturus forms an almost isosceles triangle in the sky in June.

Saturn's position in the sky makes it the most convenient planet to observe in June 2014. Being in the constellation Libra for the entire month, the ringed giant appears at dusk in the south at an altitude of 15-20 degrees above the horizon, depending on the latitude of observation. In the south of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, the visibility of Saturn will be about 6 hours; in moderate latitudes, the planet will be visible throughout the short night.

In terms of brilliance (0.4m), Saturn is comparable to the most bright stars, however, this may not be enough for a beginner to confidently identify a planet in the bright night sky of June. Especially for novice astronomy lovers, we will inform you that in the evening Saturn can be found 30° (about 3-4 fists of an outstretched arm) east of the reddish and brighter Mars. When searching, it is important not to confuse Mars with the star Arcturus, which is also reddish and has approximately the same brilliance as Mars. In general, Mars, Arcturus and Saturn form an isosceles triangle in the June sky, at the base of which lie two planets. The easiest time to find the planet will be on the night of June 10-11. At this time, the Moon will be near Saturn (just 1.5° south of the planet) in a phase close to the full moon.

Saturn's color is yellow. Already in a small telescope you can see the planet’s disk flattened towards the poles and the planet’s luxurious rings, open at 20°. The apparent dimensions of the planet are 18″, and the rings are 40×15″. Using a telescope with a lens of 100 mm or larger, you can try to see the Cassini Gap in the rings of the planet. Even with smaller instruments you can see the 8.4m star shape of Saturn's largest moon Titan.

Uranus and Neptune

The last planets in our review are Uranus and Neptune. The distant giants are too faint to be observed with the naked eye (only Uranus can be seen at the limit of visibility on a moonless night at moments of opposition). And in most amateur telescopes they look, at best, like tiny greenish-blue disks without any details.

Now both Uranus and Neptune are in the morning sky in the constellations Pisces and Aquarius, respectively. The visibility of Uranus in June is about 1 hour at the beginning of the month and increases to 2 hours at the end. The brightness of the planet is 6.0m, the apparent size of the planet is 3.4″; to see the disk, you will need a telescope with at least an 80 mm objective lens and a magnification of 80x or higher. Note that it is almost impossible to observe the planet north of Moscow due to white nights.

To an even greater extent, the latter also applies to Neptune, which, although it rises almost an hour earlier than Uranus, has a magnitude of only 8m. Like Uranus, Neptune moves across the sky in the same direction as the Sun. It can be found near the star Sigma Aquarius (magnitude 4.8m). To see the disk of the planet, you will need a more serious instrument: a telescope with a 100-120 mm lens and a magnification of over 100×.

Let us repeat that the search and observation of these planets, due to their distance from Earth, have at best only educational value for amateurs.

Let's summarize. In June, all planets are visible in the sky except Mercury, which enters into inferior conjunction with the Sun on the 19th. The most favorable conditions will be for observing Saturn and Mars. These two planets appear in the evening twilight sky in the south and southwest, respectively. The planets are located at an altitude of about 20° above the horizon and are visible for 6 and 4 hours, respectively. In temperate latitudes, Saturn can be observed throughout the short night.

Venus is visible in the east in the morning for about an hour before sunrise. The planet's brightness allows it to be observed during the day, both with a telescope and with the naked eye. Jupiter can still be found in the evenings in the northwest, in the rays of the evening dawn. Its visibility is rapidly decreasing, and at the end of the month the planet will disappear into the rays of the Sun.

>> How to find Venus in the night sky

How to find Venus in the starry sky– a description for an observer from planet Earth. Study in the photo how to use Jupiter, Moon, Mercury, and the constellations Gemini.

Venus is the second planet from the Sun, so there are no problems with how to find Venus in the starry sky. Use our online star map or carefully study the diagrams below for constellations, planets and minor stars.

To make sure you don’t make a mistake with the location, you can use special applications for your phones. Or let's follow the ancient astronomers and use natural clues.

To find Venus, start at the ecliptic. When you follow the Sun's passage across the sky, this line is called the ecliptic. Depending on the time of year, this route changes: it rises and falls. The maximum occurs during the summer solstice, and the minimum occurs during the winter solstice.

Many celestial bodies are easiest to find when elongated. These are the points where the planets are set closer to the Sun in relation to us. There are two varieties: eastern - located in the evening sky and western - in the morning. Naturally, all this concerns only the perspective of an earthly observer. Admire what Venus looks like through a non-professional telescope.

Due to our rotation, the movement of bodies covers 15 degrees per hour. Venus becomes visible only when it approaches 5 degrees to the Sun, so it cannot be seen until 20 minutes after the Sun appears or before it disappears. The planet is located between 45-47 degrees from the star and moves 3 hours and 8 minutes after/in front of the Sun.

If you want to see something other than a bright spot, then you need to buy a telescope. In addition, you will need a planetary filter or an off-axis mask. It’s good if the mechanism is equipped with an automatic tracking system.

Actually, this is one of the first questions that arises for most novice astronomy enthusiasts. Some people think that through a telescope you can see the American flag, planets the size of footballs, colored nebulae like in photographs from Hubble, etc. If you also think so, then I will immediately disappoint you - the flag is not visible, the planets are the size of peas, galaxies and nebulae are gray colorless spots. The fact is that a telescope is not just a pipe for entertainment and getting “happiness into the brain.” This is a rather complex optical device, with the correct and thoughtful use of which you will receive a lot of pleasant emotions and impressions from viewing space objects. So, what can you see through a telescope?

One of the most important parameters of a telescope is the diameter of the objective (lens or mirror). As a rule, beginners buy inexpensive telescopes with a diameter of 70 to 130 mm - so to speak, to get acquainted with the sky. Of course, the larger the diameter of the telescope lens, the brighter the image will be at the same magnification. For example, if you compare telescopes with a diameter of 100 and 200 mm, then with the same magnification (100x) the image brightness will differ by 4 times. The difference is especially noticeable when observing faint objects - galaxies, nebulae, star clusters. However, it is not uncommon for beginners to immediately purchase a large telescope (250-300 mm), then be amazed at its weight and size. Remember: the best telescope is the one through which you observe more often!

So, what can you see through a telescope? Firstly, the moon. Our space companion is of great interest to both beginners and advanced amateurs. Even a small telescope with a diameter of 60-70 mm will show lunar craters and seas. With a magnification of more than 100x, the moon will not fit into the field of view of the eyepiece at all, that is, only a piece will be visible. As the phases change, the appearance of the lunar landscapes will also change. If you look through a telescope at a young or old moon (narrow crescent), you can see the so-called ashen light - a faint glow from the dark side of the moon caused by the reflection of earthly light from the lunar surface.

Also, through a telescope you can see all the planets of the solar system. Mercury in small telescopes will simply look like a star, but in telescopes with a diameter of 100 mm or more you can see the phase of the planet - a tiny crescent. Alas, you can catch Mercury only at a certain time - the planet is not far away from the Sun, which makes it difficult to observe

Venus, also known as the morning and evening star, is the brightest object in the sky (after the Sun and Moon). The brightness of Venus can be so high that it can be seen during the day with the naked eye (you just need to know where to look). Even in small telescopes you can see the phase of the planet - it changes from a tiny circle to a large crescent, similar to the moon. By the way, sometimes people, when looking at Venus through a telescope for the first time, think that they are being shown the moon :) Venus has a dense, opaque atmosphere, so you won’t be able to see any details - just a white crescent.

Earth. Oddly enough, the telescope can also be used for ground-based observations. Quite often people buy a telescope both as a space peeper and as a spyglass. Not all types of telescopes are suitable for ground-based observations, namely lens and mirror-lens - they can provide a direct image, while in mirror telescopes of the Newtonian system the image is inverted.

Mars. yes, yes, the same one that is visible every year on August 27 as two moons :) And people fall for this stupid joke year after year, pestering familiar astronomers with questions :) Well, Mars, even in fairly large telescopes, is visible only as a small circle, and even then only during periods of confrontation (once every 2 years). However, with 80-90 mm telescopes it is quite possible to see the darkening on the planet’s disk and the polar cap.

Jupiter - perhaps it was from this planet that the era of telescopic observations began. Looking through a simple homemade telescope at Jupiter, Galileo Galilei discovered 4 satellites (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto). Subsequently, this played a huge role in the development of the heliocentric system of the world. In small telescopes you can also see several stripes on the disk of Jupiter - these are cloud belts. The famous Great Red Spot is quite accessible for observation in telescopes with a diameter of 80-90 mm. Sometimes satellites pass in front of the planet's disk, casting their shadows on it. This can also be seen through a telescope.

Jupiter with its moons - approximate view through a small telescope.

Saturn is one of the most beautiful planets, the sight of which simply takes my breath away every time, although I have seen it more than one hundred times. The presence of the ring can be seen already in a small 50-60 mm telescope, but it is best to observe this planet in telescopes with a diameter of 150-200 mm, through which you can easily see the black gap between the rings (Cassini gap), cloud belts and several satellites.

Uranus and Neptune are planets circling far from the other planets; small telescopes only look like stars. Larger telescopes will show tiny bluish-greenish disks without any detail.

Star clusters- these are objects for observation through a telescope of any diameter. Star clusters are divided into two types - globular and open. A globular cluster looks like a round nebulous speck, which, when viewed through an average telescope (from 100-130 mm), begins to crumble into stars. The number of stars in globular clusters is very large and can reach several million. Open clusters are groups of stars, often irregular shape. One of the most famous open clusters visible to the naked eye is the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus.

Star cluster M45 "Pleiades"

Double cluster h and χ Persei.
Approximate view in telescopes from 75..80mm.

Globular cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules - approximate view through a telescope with a diameter of 300 mm

Galaxies. These star islands can be found not only through a telescope, but also through binoculars. It is to find, not to consider. In a telescope, they look like small colorless specks. Starting from a diameter of 90-100 mm, bright galaxies can be seen to have a shape. The exception is the Andromeda Nebula, its shape can be easily seen even with binoculars. Of course, there can be no talk of any spiral arms up to a diameter of 200-250 mm, and even then they are noticeable only in a few galaxies.

Galaxies M81 and M82 in the constellation Ursa Major— approximate view through 20x60 binoculars and telescopes with a diameter of 80-90 mm.

Nebulae. They are clouds of interstellar gas and/or dust illuminated by other stars or stellar remnants. Like galaxies, in a small telescope they are visible as faint spots, but in larger telescopes (from 100-150 mm) you can see the shape and structure of most bright nebulae. One of the brightest nebulae, M42 in the constellation Orion, can be seen even with the naked eye, and a telescope will reveal a complex gas structure that looks like puffs of smoke. Some compact, bright nebulae show color, such as NGC 6210's Turtle Nebula, which appears as a small bluish disk.

Great Orion Nebula (M42)
Approximate view through telescopes with a diameter of 80mm or more.

Planetary nebula M27 "Dumbbell" in the constellation Chanterelle.
Approximate view through telescopes with a diameter of 150...200mm.

Planetary nebula M57 "Ring" in the constellation Lyra.
Approximate view through a telescope with a diameter of 130...150mm.

Double stars. Our Sun is a single star, but many stars in the Universe are double, triple or even quadruple systems, often stars of different masses, sizes and colors. One of the most beautiful double stars- Albireo in the constellation Cygnus. To the naked eye, Albireo looks like a single star, but just look through a telescope and you will see two bright points of different colors - orange and bluish. By the way, all stars in a telescope are visible as points due to the enormous distance. All,

...except for the Sun. I warn you right away - observing the Sun without special protective equipment is very dangerous! Only with a special aperture filter, which must be securely attached to the front of the telescope. No tint films, smoked glass or floppy disks! Take care of your eyes! If all precautions are followed, even with a tiny 50-60 mm telescope you can see sunspots - dark formations on the disk of the sun. These are the places from which magnetic lines come out. Our Sun rotates with a period of about 25 days, so by observing sunspots every day, you can notice the rotation of the Sun.

Comets. From time to time, bright “tailed guests” are visible in the sky, sometimes visible even to the naked eye. In a telescope or binoculars, they are visible in the same way as galaxies with nebulae - small colorless specks. Large, bright comets have a tail and a greenish color.

If after reading this article you still have a desire to purchase a telescope, then I congratulate you, because there is another important step ahead - choosing the right telescope, but more on that in

If you already own a telescope, I recommend reading the article

Clear skies!