skysurfer
25-03-2017, 11:13 PM
This weekend Venus is between the Earth and Sun, but doe to the inclination of the orbits, it does not come closer than 8 degrees from the Sun. This morning (8:40 UTC) I took a video by handholding (shaky image) the Canon Powershot S100 behind the eyepiece of my 80mm tabletop scope.
http://pix.skysurfer.eu/20170325-Venus-inferior-conjuction.mp4
It is a very nice thin crescent. Even binoculars (10x or more) reveal it. But watch out ! Put the scope (or binos) close to the edge of the shadow of a house / tree to allow blocking the possibility of inadvertently pointing at the Sun with permanent eye damage as a result.
Note for Southern Hemisphere observers: Venus is 'below' the Sun which makes it more difficult to block out the Sun. A covered balcony or a sunshade where you are in the shadow of the roof / canopy might help to block the Sun out of view.
But when precautions taken, it is a awesome view the thin crescent !
http://pix.skysurfer.eu/20170325-Venus-inferior-conjuction.mp4
It is a very nice thin crescent. Even binoculars (10x or more) reveal it. But watch out ! Put the scope (or binos) close to the edge of the shadow of a house / tree to allow blocking the possibility of inadvertently pointing at the Sun with permanent eye damage as a result.
Note for Southern Hemisphere observers: Venus is 'below' the Sun which makes it more difficult to block out the Sun. A covered balcony or a sunshade where you are in the shadow of the roof / canopy might help to block the Sun out of view.
But when precautions taken, it is a awesome view the thin crescent !