MnAstro Forums

As mentioned during tonight's monthly meeting, here's a shot of Venus at Inferior Conjunction from the LASCO C3 Coronagraph on the SOHO satellite. SO bright! The coronagraph blocks the Sun so we can observe the upper atmosphere. The size of the Sun's disk is represented by the white circle in the center.
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That is a good and safe distance to catch a little crescent of Venus. Inferior conjunction at 0916 hrs local time but only 14° altitude. Might have to wait until 1200 hrs. Need to clear the wall of the obsy. I might give it a shot.

It's pretty amazing that Venus is that bright on the LASCO C3 image given that it is less than 1% illuminated...

Suresh