Venus
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Venus is closer than the Earth to the Sun. In size it is almost earth's twin, however that is where the similarity finishes. Venus has a very dense atmosphere made up mainly of Carbon-dioxide. As a result the planet sufferes from a runaway greenhouse effect making the surface hot enough to melt metal. From a telescopic point of view the planet lacks detail. At the eyepeice it shows phase and changes dramatically in size. Some cloud top detail can be recorded using a monocrome CCD webcam and special filters that only pass UV light. However, even this detail is very difficult to record as most of the light from the planet is rejected by the filter and the image on the CCD is quite dim. Also because the planet is always relatively close to the sun, it tends to be seen through turbulent air and it's very difficult to record a steady image of the planet.
These pages record my attempts to image Venus. |
Some Facts about Venus |
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Diameter |
12,104 km |
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Density |
5.25 g/cm3 |
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Mass |
4.869 x 1024 kg |
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Volume |
9.284 x 1011 km3 |
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Temperature Range |
-45° C to 464° C |
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Atmosphere |
97% Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen |
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Winds |
350 km/hr |
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Moons |
None |
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Average Distance from Sun |
108,200,000 km |
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Orbital Period |
0 Years, 224 Days, 16.8 Hours |
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Rotation (Retrograde) |
243 Days, 0.5 Hours |
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Tilt |
177.36° |
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Rings |
None |
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Composition |
Iron Core, Silicate Surface |
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Magnetic Field |
Slight |
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Venus Transit: 8th June 2004 On the the 8th of June 2004 after a 120 year wait, Venus transited across the face of the Sun. This page records my witness of the event whilston holiday in Dorset, England. |
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Venus: 2007. During the first half of 2007 Venus was a relatively easy evening object and for Venus was fairly high in the sky at sunset. These are my images of this evening apperition. Click here or the image to see more. |
