Different Phases of Venus in 2005

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Common Name: Venus Other Names: The Evening Star, The Morning Star RA: Dec Constellation: Distance: 108.2 million Km from Sun Magnitude: Telescope: Meade LX200GPS 14" Camera: Canon 300D Filters: nil Exposure: Date: 2005 Where: Tenby Observatory, Coonabarabran Lat: 31 16 35.05 S, Long 149 11 33.99 E, Elevation 547metres Notes: Venus is the 2nd planet from the Sun and the closest planet to the Earth when they are on the same side of the Sun. It is the brightest celestial object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. It can get 16 times brighter than the star Sirius. As Venus is closer to the Sun, Venus has phases like the Moon. When Venus is on the opposite side of the Sun its face is Fuller and angular size is smaller. When it is on the same side of the Sun as the Earth, the phase is less than half and the angular size is much larger. Depending on whether it is East or West of the Sun to our point of view determines whether it is observable before sunrise or after sunset. Its greatest elongation is 47 degrees. Venus is actually observable during the daytime to the naked eye. From telescopes on Earth, Venus looks featureless as it is covered with a blanket of cloud. The cloud refects 59% of the light that falls on it. Some Stats Max Distance from Sun: 108.9 million Km Min Distance from Sun: 107.5 million Km Eccentricity: 0.0068 Mean orbital speed: 35.0km/sec Orbital Period: 224.7 days Rotation Period: 243.01 days (retrograde) Inclination to orbit: 177.4 degrees Inclination to ecliptic: 3.39 degrees Diameter: 12 104km Mass: 0.815 Earth Masses Density: 5.243g/cm square Escape velocity: 10.4km/sec Surface gravity: 0.91 (Earth = 1) Albedo: 0.59 Mean surface Temperature: 460 degrees C