skysurfer
16-07-2016, 09:55 PM
Today and tomorrow these two planets will be only half a degree apart.
And the event will be better visible in the daylight than shortly after sunset.
They are only 11º from the Sun so some care must be taken (keep the Sun just behind a tree of other obstruction). But as they are east of the Sun, the Sun will not move into the field when the scope is steady.
They can be looked up by a goto, setting circles or even a steady telescope.
In the latter case, point the telescope at the Sun (DO NOT LOOK INTO THE EYEPIECE unless a filter is used), wait 48 minutes and Venus should be 1 degree south of the center of the field. Use a low power eyepiece and prefocus it.
The closest approach will be around midday AEST on Sunday.
RA: RAsun + 48 minutes
DE: DEsun - 1 degree.
I did not try yet, because it is (still?) overcast here.
Mercury is -0.3 and Venus -3.3 so with a clear blue sky, even a small (70mm) scope can show them in one field.
And the event will be better visible in the daylight than shortly after sunset.
They are only 11º from the Sun so some care must be taken (keep the Sun just behind a tree of other obstruction). But as they are east of the Sun, the Sun will not move into the field when the scope is steady.
They can be looked up by a goto, setting circles or even a steady telescope.
In the latter case, point the telescope at the Sun (DO NOT LOOK INTO THE EYEPIECE unless a filter is used), wait 48 minutes and Venus should be 1 degree south of the center of the field. Use a low power eyepiece and prefocus it.
The closest approach will be around midday AEST on Sunday.
RA: RAsun + 48 minutes
DE: DEsun - 1 degree.
I did not try yet, because it is (still?) overcast here.
Mercury is -0.3 and Venus -3.3 so with a clear blue sky, even a small (70mm) scope can show them in one field.