Observation by Chris Hooker: Venus nightside, 7th July 2023

Uploaded by

Chris Hooker

Observer

Chris Hooker

Observed

2023 Jul 07 - 21:15

Uploaded

2023 Jul 08 - 12:12

Objects

Venus

Equipment

Orion Optics OMC200 Maksutov-Cassegrain
Image mask with 3.3x re-imaging focal reducer
Thorlabs FELH1000 and Edmund Optics 1000/50 nm filters
ZWO ASI462MC camera

Location

Didcot, Oxfordshire

Target name

Venus

Title

Venus nightside, 7th July 2023

About this image

Venus' nightside imaged in the near-IR in good conditions. The OMC200 has a native focal length of 4000 mm, but the reducer brings this down to 1200 mm and changes the focal ratio to F/6, which is fast enough to detect the nightside with exposures of around 1/10 second. The contrast of the image stacks has been greatly enhanced to bring out the faint emission from the nightside.

Files associated with this observation

Venus nightside 7 Jul 23.png (347.2 kB)

Like this image

Jeremy Shears, Martin Lewis, James Weightman, Mr Ron Palgrave, Steve Knight

Comments

Martin Lewis, 2023 Jul 09 - 08:35 UTC

Good, path-breaking work on a really tough imaging challenge Chris,

Martin

Mr Ron Palgrave, 2023 Jul 20 - 21:40 UTC

Despite being eagerly anticipated by me, the planet has always been very poorly positioned for me and the window of opportnity has well passed. For the avoidance of doubt could I just clarify that the mask description says it all-just two overlapping sheets!

RonPalgrave

Chris Hooker, 2023 Jul 22 - 06:50 UTC

Yes, the position of Venus pre-conjunction has been far from ideal for the UK! I suspect the low altitude is one reason why the images don't show any nightside features.

The mask was made from two strips of aluminized Mylar about 1 mm wide, with the ends cut at 20 degrees. The two are glued to a support with as small an overlap as I could manage, I think around 0.1 mm. That is why the crescent appears as two sections with a dark line between them where the filter is double.

Chris

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