Was there life on young Venus? Venus - mysteries of the surface or is there life on Venus? Does Grandfather 7 exist on Venus

It’s not for nothing that Venus received the nickname “Earth’s evil twin”: hot, dehydrated, covered in toxic clouds. But just one or two billion years ago, the two sisters may have been more similar. New computer simulations suggest that early Venus closely resembled our home planet and may even have been habitable.

“One of the biggest mysteries of Venus is how it happened that it is so different from Earth. The question gets even more interesting when, from an astrobiological perspective, you consider the possibility that Venus and Earth were very similar during the early days of life on Earth,” says David Grinspoon of the US Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona.

Grinspoon and his colleagues were not the first to suggest that Venus was once habitable. It is similar to Earth in size and density, and there is no escaping the fact that the two planets formed close to each other, suggesting they are made from similar materials. Venus also has an unusually high ratio of deuterium to hydrogen atoms, a sign that it once had significant amounts of water that mysteriously disappeared over time.

Artistic depiction of the climate of modern Venus. Credit: Deviantart/Tr1umph

To simulate early Venus, the researchers turned to the conditions model environment, used to study climate change on Earth. They created four scenarios that differed slightly in details, such as the amount of energy received from the Sun or the length of the Venusian day. Where information about Venus's climate was sparse, the team filled in the gaps with educated guesses. They also added a shallow ocean (10% of Earth's ocean volume), covering about 60 percent of the planet's surface.

By looking at the development of each version over time, the researchers suggested that the planet may have looked like early Earth, and been habitable for a significant period. The most promising of the four scenarios was a model with moderate temperatures, thick clouds and light snowfall.

Could life have appeared on early Venus? If this did not happen, the culprit is the subsequent boiling of the oceans and volcanoes, which dramatically changed the landscape about 715 million years ago. But still, the team did not exclude the possibility of life developing in ancient times on the second planet solar system.

“Both planets likely enjoyed warm oceans of water combined with rocky shores and organic molecules undergoing chemical evolution in these oceans. As far as we understand, these are the requirements for theories of the origin of life today,” says David Grinspoon.

To strengthen these findings, future missions to Venus should focus on signs of water-related erosion, which would provide evidence of past oceans. Such signs have already been discovered on Mars. NASA is currently considering two potential projects to explore Venus, although neither has been approved yet.

Venus is the goddess of love, arts and luxury. IN Ancient Greece they called her Aphrodite and believed that she was born from sea ​​foam. In Eastern astrology, she is revered as one of the most beneficial planets, but among other things, she is considered the teacher of demons.

It is the position of Venus that determines how filled a person’s life will be with happiness and love. And also, to the extent that he himself is able to give this love, he will become an outstanding artist or, under the influence of afflicted Venus, a slave of his own whims and laziness.

What benefits can a person receive from the right attitude towards this energy? What is the effect of a weak or afflicted Venus and how to establish a relationship with this aspect of Divinity? Read about this and much more further in this article...

Strong Venus

Venus is exalted, that is, it is in full strength in the sign of Jupiter - Pisces, and it is also strong in its own houses - Taurus and Libra. Receives dik bala (directive force) in the 4th house (that is, in this house it is stronger than in all others).

People with a strong Venus are often spoiled by fate; there is almost always a lot of happiness and love in their lives. Such people, more than anyone else, tend to see the bright, positive sides of life, which, however, in its negative aspects is fraught with some frivolity and laziness.

Venusians are receptive to beauty, they have a refined taste and are most often attracted to some kind of art. Depending on the position of Venus, such a person may be endowed with some kind of creative talent. But even if this is not the case, and fate destined them to become boring techies, they will still strive for the sublimely beautiful. And in the end they will become, if not brilliant creators, then at least ardent connoisseurs of someone’s creativity.

Until strong Venus is worked through, a person will take the luck it bestows for granted. Which may make him seem spoiled or pampered. To work through this aspect, you need to learn to control your frivolity and laziness and become a source of grace for others.

Benefic Venus

Venus is a natural benefic except when it rules bad houses or receives bad aspects or conjunctions. By the way, Venus is one of the few planets that does not deteriorate at all in bad houses, although the houses ruled by it are weakened in such cases.

The main signs of benefic Venus are popularity, attractiveness, gentleness, good nature and conformity. In unprocessed cases, all this can manifest itself as an inability to disidentify oneself with society, and then it becomes unclear - is it I who think so, or was it imposed on me from the outside?

A well-developed strong and benefic Venus gives artistic or artistic talents, diplomacy and the ability to gently manage people.

Weak Venus

The fall sign of Venus is Virgo, this Mercury sign is characterized by pragmatism, precision and attention to detail, which is what the sensual and emotional Venus least likes.

Most often, weak Venus gives difficulties in social contacts, the predominance of logic, pragmatism and a tendency to put the aesthetic side of life in last place. Such people have little interest in romance and relationships with people in general; it is unlikely that that same great and pure love will ever visit them. And the statement about the need for close relationships and creating a family in general will cause slight bewilderment, they say - why?

In a word, such individuals are least likely to be touched by children, fluffy kittens and other, as they consider unimportant tinsel. Their thinking is more practical, their gaze is cold-blooded, and their way of life is calmly measured. They do not have the habit of admiring or getting carried away, and they are unlikely to find themselves interesting activity in the field of art.

The lack of inclination to conformity and the feeling of being an outsider among people can lead to conflict and isolation. On the other hand, all this frees a person from wasting energy on outbursts of emotions; such a person will almost never be offended, hate or jealous. He will never be attracted to vulgarity, pornography or erotica; he is characterized by restraint and rare natural chastity.

Venus afflicted

Most of all, Venus will spoil a person’s life if it is strong and is in conjunction with any malefic, for example, Rahu, or also rules bad houses.

If a person with a weak Venus is a hermit who has little interest in the affairs of society, then a person with an afflicted Venus is a rebel. And this can manifest itself in a wide variety of perversions, from a flashy, shocking appearance in the hippie style, for example, to a variety of variations of eccentric behavior. Why such people often receive the stigma of having a difficult character.

Emotions, feelings and love play important role the lives of these individuals and most often they cannot cope with them. Love comes suddenly, events develop rapidly and just as quickly everything subsides, as if nothing had happened. There are scenes of jealousy, ardent declarations of love, as well as other passions with further development into tragedy or tragicomedy. Don Juanism is generally characteristic of such people, and not only in relationships with people.

Artists with afflicted Venus may suffer long periods of creative constipation, followed by periodic bursts of hordes of muses. Which is why the expression “pangs of creativity” has a completely literal meaning for them. That is why it is the afflicted Venus that is the “culprit” of perverted art and the addiction of many creators to intoxication.

Such Venus pushes lovers of mysticism into black magic and various kinds of obscurantism. Love spells, the desire to manipulate others and tantra in its worst manifestations are the inventions of people with just such a Venus.

However, most often these are bright personalities with an extraordinary and rich biography. Often endowed with wealth, charismatic favorites of the public, however, oddly enough, this brings them little pleasure.

Propitiation of Venus

1. Qualities that enhance and harmonize Venus:

· The ability to love, in every sense of the word.

· Has the ability to create beauty, good taste, design flair, a sense of rhythm.

· Inclinedmake your partner happy.

· Sensitivity, sophistication and sensitivity.

· Good nature, gentleness and compassion.

· Creativity and rich imagination.

· Chastity, marital fidelity and rejection of everything vulgar, such as pornography, erotica, provocative clothing, etc.

· A subtle sense of humor and charisma.

· Unselfishness.

· For women - to develop feminine qualities, for men - to learn to respect the feminine energy in yourself and in your environment.

2. Actions that strengthen Venus will be especially effective if done on Fridays, since on this day the energy of Venus is especially strong. So:

· Creative activities and hobbies, things related to art, development of the right hemisphere.

· Donating something or serving women and cows.

· Decorate your home, your things and your body.

· Studying the stories of Parasuram.

· Refusal of black magic.

3. Clothing that enhances Venus:

· Beautiful, decorated clothes, mostly pink, pastel, white colors.

· Transparent and translucent clothing, but it should not be provocative, otherwise the energy of Venus will enter into ignorance.

· Strong and durable.

This is part two of Space.com's 12-part series, "Life on Other Planets: What Would It Be Like?"

With its dehydrated, red-orange landscape and surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead, Venus is our solar system's equivalent of hell.

It is currently beyond our technological capabilities to prepare a suitable basis for life on Venus, but this is what life would be like if we could still live there...

Venus is often perceived as our Earth's twin sister because the size and composition of the two planets are similar. That is why NASA, ESA, Soviet Cosmonautics and others have sent numerous spaceships, starting in the 1960s to explore the second planet from the sun.

In the early 1990s, spacecraft NASA's Magellan, entered an elongated polar orbit around Venus. Using radar, he managed to map 98% of the planet's surface (it was not possible to see the entire surface due to its thick cloudiness). After this, Venus was forgotten until 2005, when EKA launched its Venus Express spacecraft to study the planet's atmosphere.

“The surface of Venus is very different from other planets in our solar system,” said Venus Express project scientist Håkan Svedhem. Radar images from Magellan showed that the surface of Venus is decorated with mountains, craters, thousands of volcanoes, some much larger than Earth's, lava channels up to 5 kilometers long, ring-like structures called coronas, and strange, warped terrain called mosaics .

However, Venus has plains that cover 2/3 of the planet. These plains might have been best place in order to break the basic basis for life.

Walking on Venus would not be a pleasant experience. The planet's surface is completely dry because the planet is suffering from a runaway greenhouse effect. Thus, its broad atmosphere is filled with heat-trapping carbon dioxide, which keeps the planet's temperature constant at about 465 degrees Celsius.

Venus's gravity is almost 91% of Earth's, so you might jump a little higher and objects would appear a little lighter than on Earth. "You probably wouldn't notice a difference in gravity, but what you would notice is a dense atmosphere," Swedham said. “The air is so thick that if you tried to move your hands quickly, you would feel resistance. It would be like being in water."

Likewise, it would be difficult to miss a change in atmospheric pressure. On Earth at sea level, the air presses on our bodies with a force of 14.5 pounds per square inch, or 1 bar, while the pressure on the surface of Venus is 92 bars. To experience such pressure on Earth, you need to descend into the ocean to a depth of 914 meters.

Venus revolves around the Sun for 225 Earth days, and rotates on its axis for 243 Earth days. "But the time from one noon to the next is 117 Earth days because Venus rotates in the opposite direction," Swedham said. This reverse rotation means that the sun rises in the west and sets in the east.

"On Earth we see blue sky, the sky on Venus always appears reddish-orange, due to the ability of molecules carbon dioxide scatter sunlight. You wouldn't see the sun as a separate object in this sky, but rather a yellowish hue behind thick clouds, and the night sky would be a starless black,” Swedham said.

High in the atmosphere of Venus, winds reach speeds of 400 km/h - faster than tornadoes and hurricane-force winds on Earth. But on the surface of the planet the wind speed is only 3 km/h. And although there is lightning on the planet, the blinding flashes never reach the surface. In addition, the very high temperature prevents any rainfall from touching the Venusian land.

Unlike the Earth, there are no earthquakes on Venus; tectonic plates are not active enough and do not remove heat from the surface. The high temperature remains at a critical level for millions of years, and then is suddenly released by some mechanism, large-scale volcanic activity that changes the surface of the planet.

But if you decide to complain to your friends that lava has destroyed your yard, don’t expect a quick response. Your message will travel to Earth in a few minutes, at a time when the planets are at their shortest distance from each other. When Venus is on the other side of the Sun from Earth, your message will take almost 15 minutes to get home.

Venus is the second planet of the solar system and the closest neighbor of the Earth. The distance between Venus and our planet is “only” 108,000,000 million kilometers. Therefore, scientists are considering Venus as one of the possible places for settlement. But a day on Venus lasts as long as an earthly year, and the sun rises in the west. The oddities of our amazing neighbor will be discussed in this review.

1. A day is equal to a year

A day on Venus is longer than a year. To be more precise, the planet rotates around its axis so slowly that a day on Venus lasts 243 Earth days, and a year lasts 224.7 Earth days.

2. Visible without a telescope

There are 5 planets that can be seen with the naked eye and not with a telescope. These are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

3. Size and orbit

Of all the planets in the solar system, Venus is most similar to Earth. Some call it Earth's twin because both planets have approximately the same size and orbit.

4. Floating cities

Recently, scientists have argued that cities that will float above the clouds of Venus may be the best choice for potential colonization of another planet. Although the surface of Venus is hellish, the conditions at an altitude of hundreds of kilometers (temperature, pressure and gravity) are almost ideal for humans.

In 1970, a Soviet interplanetary space probe landed on Venus. It became the first ship to land on another planet, and also the first to transmit data from there back to Earth. True, this did not last long (only 23 minutes) due to the extremely aggressive situation on the planet.

6. Surface temperature

As you know, the temperature on the surface of Venus is such that nothing living can survive there. There is also metallic snow here.

7. Atmosphere and voice

8. Surface gravity of planets

The surface gravity of Venus, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune is approximately the same. On average they account for 15% of Earth's gravity.

9. Volcanoes of Venus

Venus has more volcanoes than any other planet in the solar system. To be more precise, there are more than 1600 of them, most of which are active.

10. Atmospheric pressure

Needless to say, the atmospheric pressure on the surface of Venus is also, to put it mildly, unfriendly to people. To be more precise, it is about 90 times higher than sea level pressure on Earth.

11. Surface temperature

There is a real hell on the surface of Venus. Temperatures here can reach 470 degrees Celsius. It is not surprising that the Venera 7 probe lived so short.

12. Hurricanes of Venus

The winds on Venus keep up with the temperature in terms of extremes. For example, hurricanes with wind speeds of up to 725 km/h are not uncommon in the middle layer of clouds.

13. Sunrise in the West

No man-made object has survived on Venus for more than 127 minutes. That’s how long the Venera 13 probe lasted.

Scientists today are actively developing the space theme. And recently they talked about.

Brief information Mercury- the planet closest to the Sun. The average distance between Mercury and the Sun is 58 million kilometers. The planet has a highly elongated orbit. A year on Mercury lasts 88 days. The planet has a very rarefied helium atmosphere. The pressure created by such an atmosphere is 500 billion times less than the air pressure at the surface of the Earth.
Venus- the brightest object in the earth's sky after the Sun and Moon. Venus completes a full revolution around the Sun in 225 days. The period of rotation around the axis is 243 days, i.e. The length of the day is the longest among the planets. The atmosphere of Venus is 96.5% carbon dioxide and 3.5% nitrogen.
Necessary equipment From an equipment point of view, observing Mercury and Venus is not fundamentally different from observing other planets. However, there are also some nuances. For example, achromatic refractors are of little use for observing Venus, as they burden the image with greater chromatism, which is especially evident due to the dazzling brilliance of the planet. It would also be a good idea to have an equatorial mount or a mount equipped with a Go-To, since observing the lower planets can and should be done during the daytime. But the difficulty of finding a planet during the day makes it almost impossible to use conventional alt-azimuth mounts.
Details on the surface of Mercury and Venus are subtle during visual observations, and the quality of all optical components of the telescope should not be in doubt. It is recommended to have high-quality planetary eyepieces available - orthoscopic and monocentric. A set of color filters will also come in handy. Orange, red and dark red (useful for large telescopes) filters will help improve the contrast of planets when observing in the daytime and twilight skies. Green, purple and blue highlight the dark details in the planets' disks. Attention! When making daytime observations of Mercury or Venus, under no circumstances look at the Sun through the telescope eyepiece or through an optical finder! For more information about observing the Sun through a telescope, read the instructions for the telescope. Avoid accidentally putting the Sun in the telescope's field of view. Even a fleeting glance at the Sun can damage your vision.
Mercury When to Observe Mercury Mercury has a reputation among observers as an “elusive planet.” The fact is that among all the planets, the duration of its visibility is the shortest. Since Mercury does not move far from the Sun in its visible movement across the sky, residents of the middle northern latitudes (Russia and CIS countries, Europe, England, USA, etc.) do not have the opportunity to see the planet in the dark. In contrast, Southern Hemisphere observers are sometimes able to capture Mercury after astronomical nightfall.
The most favorable periods for observing Mercury occur at the moments of its greatest elongation (removal from the Sun), and when the planet is at its greatest height above the horizon during sunset or sunrise. In mid-northern latitudes, such moments occur in the spring during the period of eastern elongation, when Mercury is visible in the evening, or in the autumn periods of its western elongation, when the planet is visible in the morning. Observations of Mercury Most likely, your first sighting of Mercury will be a little disappointing. Compared to Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon, the planet is, to put it mildly, unattractive. Mercury is a planet for sophisticated observers who love to set themselves difficult tasks and strive to achieve great results. Moreover, many experienced amateur astronomers have never observed Mercury. But if you like to spend hours looking at dim and unremarkable galaxies, perhaps Mercury will be a new, exciting activity for you.
Observing Mercury with the naked eye or binoculars Contrary to popular belief, Mercury is quite easy to find in the sky with the naked eye. As a rule, the chances of success are quite high if you look for a planet within a week before and after its greatest elongation. They increase significantly if the atmosphere is calm and do not interfere with observations. high buildings and city smog. In the spring, during the evening visibility period, Mercury is visible to the naked eye half an hour after sunset, low above the western horizon. Depending on the terrain and the transparency of the atmosphere, the planet can be observed for about an hour in the twilight sky. Similarly, in the fall, when morning visibility begins, Mercury can be seen 30 minutes after its rise and contemplated with the naked eye for an hour until it disappears in the rays of the rising Sun. In favorable periods, the brightness of Mercury reaches -1.3 magnitude, which is only 0.1 less than that of Sirius, the brightest star in the earth's sky. It is worth noting that the low altitude above the horizon and, as a result, the thick and seething layer of air standing in the path of light from the planet makes Mercury twinkle like other stars. Many observers have noted the planet's pink or pale pink hue—look for this the next time you observe Mercury. It is much easier to view Mercury through binoculars, especially in the first minutes after sunset, when the sky is still quite bright. Of course, you won’t be able to see the planet’s phases with binoculars, but nevertheless, this is an excellent tool for finding a planet and observing such beautiful phenomena as the approach of Mercury with other planets, as well as with bright stars and the Moon.
Observing Mercury through a telescope Typically, Mercury is accessible for telescopic observations for five weeks around its best visibility periods. But it’s worth mentioning right away that observing Mercury is not an easy task. As mentioned above, the low position of the planet above the horizon creates obstacles to its observation. Prepare for the fact that the image of the planet will constantly “sausage”, and only in rare moments, for a split second, the picture calms down and allows you to see some interesting details.
The most obvious feature is the phases of Mercury, which can be seen without much difficulty in an 80mm telescope. True, this will require increasing the telescope’s magnification to at least 100x. Near maximum elongation, i.e. the best time to observe the planet, the visible disk of Mercury is illuminated by 50% (half of the disk). It should be noted that it is almost impossible to consider the phase when the planet is illuminated by less than 30% or more than 70%, since at this time Mercury is too close to the Sun.
While discerning the phases of Mercury is not that difficult, discerning the details on its disk is not a task for the faint of heart. There are many conflicting reports about the observation of various dark spots on its surface. Some observers report that they can see detail in medium-sized telescopes, but others see nothing on the planet's disk. Of course, success depends not only on the size of the telescope and its optical qualities, but also on the experience of the observer, as well as on the observing conditions.
Sketch. Dark details on the surface of Mercury. Telescope ShK 8" Near the moments of Mercury's greatest elongation, in a 100–120 mm telescope under good atmospheric conditions, slight darkening along the terminator line can be seen. However, it is quite difficult for the untrained eye to see the finest details on its surface, so experienced observers in this case have a greater chance of success.
Having a telescope with an objective diameter of more than 250 mm, you can try to discern large darkenings of the surface distant from the terminator. This fun and extremely challenging activity can be a good test of your observation skills.
Venus When to observe Venus Venus is more accessible for observation compared to Mercury. Despite the fact that, like Mercury, Venus does not move far from the Sun, the apparent angular distance between them can reach 47°. During the period of optimal visibility, Venus can be observed for several hours after sunset as the “Evening Star” or before sunrise as the “Morning Star”. Residents of the Northern Hemisphere best time for observations it occurs during eastern elongation, when on spring evenings the planet can be observed until midnight. During periods close to eastern or western elongation, the planet is located high above the horizon and has greater brightness, which has a favorable effect on observation conditions. Typically, the duration of best visibility is about a month. Observations of Venus Observations of Venus with the naked eye during the daytime Most easy way Observing Venus with the naked eye means finding the planet during its rise in the morning sky and keeping an eye on it after sunrise for as long as possible. During favorable periods of visibility and in the presence of ideal atmospheric conditions, Venus can be kept in sight for quite a long time. The chances of success increase if you block the Sun with an artificial or natural barrier. For example, find a convenient place so that a high tree or building can obscure bright sun, but did not cover the planet. Naturally, daytime searches for Venus should begin with accurate information about its position in the sky and distance from the Sun. Such data can be obtained using any planetarium program, for example StarCalc. Of course, it is quite difficult to see in the daytime sky a barely noticeable tiny area of ​​​​light, almost not distinguished from the surrounding background, which is Venus. However, there is one trick that can help catch this ghostly glow: when starting to search for a planet, the first thing you should do is look at the distant horizon for a while, and then direct your gaze to the expected place in the sky where Venus should be located. Since the eyes have the ability to maintain focus for a short period of time (in this case, focusing at infinity), your chances of seeing the planet increase.
Observing Venus through binoculars Binoculars are an excellent tool for searching for Venus and making its simplest observations. Thanks to the large field of view of binoculars, it becomes possible to observe the approach of planets to each other and to the Moon. Large astronomical binoculars - 15x70 and 20x100 - are quite capable of showing the phases of Venus when its visible disk is more than 40 "". Using binoculars it is much easier to find Venus during daylight hours. But be careful: even accidentally entering the field of view of the Sun can damage your eyes, which will lead to complete loss of vision! Searches for Venus are best carried out in good weather, when the sky is blue and distant buildings are visible on the horizon, which indicates high transparency of the atmosphere. As a guide when searching for a planet, you can choose the Moon, which is usually easily visible in a bright sky. To do this, use the planetarium program to determine in advance the day and time when the Moon and Venus will be at a short distance from each other and, taking binoculars with you, go hunting.
Phases of Venus. Photographer Chris Proctor
Observing Venus through a telescope Daytime observations of Venus Even in a small telescope, the blinding radiance of Venus reduces the overall contrast of the image, making it difficult to see its phases, and also negates all efforts to discern the finest details of the surface. One way to reduce the brightness of a planet is to observe it during the daytime. The telescope allows you to observe Venus in the daytime sky almost all year round. Only for two weeks before and after its superior conjunction the planet is inaccessible to observation due to its excessive proximity to the Sun. Owners of telescopes with the Go-To auto-pointing system can easily point the telescope at Venus using the telescope's Sun Alignment method. How to do this is described in detail in the telescope user manual. Another way to find Venus is to use a telescope on an equatorial mount that has reference circles. To do this, carefully align the mount, then point the telescope at the Sun, taking the necessary precautions (use a filter specially designed for observing the Sun or project the image onto a sheet of paper). Then align the coordinate circles according to the previously calculated equatorial coordinates of the Sun (Ra and Dec). The exact coordinates of the Sun and Venus on this moment time can be calculated in advance using a planetarium program. After aligning with the Sun, slowly begin to move the telescope tube until the coordinates on the alignment circles coincide with the coordinates of Venus. Using a search eyepiece, look through the telescope and find the planet. It should be noted that it is much easier to view Venus if you carefully adjust the focus of the telescope to distant objects in advance.
Once the planet is found, higher magnification can be applied. An orange or red filter will be useful, as it can increase the contrast between Venus and the sky background, and also highlight the subtle details of the cloud cover. During the period close to inferior conjunction, Venus appears as a narrow crescent. At such moments, you can notice the appearance of the so-called horns of Venus, which outline the disk of the planet with a thin light edging. This phenomenon is caused by dispersion sunlight in the planet's atmosphere.
A typical view of Venus through a small telescope. Sketch by Evan Bruce
Night observations of Venus Although daytime observations of Venus have several advantages, many astronomy enthusiasts prefer to observe the planet in the twilight or night sky. Of course, at this time of day there are no problems with detecting a planet in the sky, which is an obvious plus. However, there are also plenty of disadvantages. As stated above, the main enemy of the observer is the blinding brilliance of Venus, which prevents the detection of the finest details in the planet's cloud cover. True, this disadvantage can be combated using a polarizing filter with variable density.
Another disadvantage is the planet’s low altitude above the horizon. As a rule, even during the best periods of visibility, at night the height of Venus above the horizon does not exceed 30°. And as you know, it is advisable to observe any object when its height is more than 30°. At this altitude, the negative influence of the atmosphere on image quality is minimized.
In general, speaking about the observation of Venus and taking into account the peculiarities of its visibility, this bar can be lowered. But it is worth keeping in mind that observing the planet during a period when its height above the horizon is less than 20° is not advisable.
Observing dark patterns in the clouds of Venus Often the disk of Venus appears to the observer as homogeneous, grayish-white and without any details. Sometimes, under good observing conditions, you can notice darkening along the terminator line. Even more rarely, some astronomy lovers manage to see dark formations having bizarre shapes. What affects the visibility of parts? At the moment there is no clear and unambiguous answer. Most likely, a combination of factors: observation conditions, quality of equipment, and visual characteristics. Let's take a closer look at the latter.
Decades ago, it was suggested that some observers' eyes were more sensitive to the ultraviolet spectrum, allowing them to see dark streaks and formations on the planet. This assumption was subsequently confirmed by photographs taken in the ultraviolet spectrum, which showed the presence of details not visible in ordinary photographs. Again, one should not discount the self-deception of the observer. The fact is that dark features are extremely elusive - it is easy to convince yourself of their presence just because you expect to see them. It is also difficult to answer the question of the minimum telescope required to observe the details of the cloud cover. Some observers claim that they see them in 100-mm telescopes, while others cannot see them even in larger ones. Some observers are able to see the darkening using a blue, violet, or yellow filter. So no matter what equipment you have, don't stop trying to find interesting features, train your eyesight, and luck will definitely smile on you.
There is the following classification of dark features: Tape. Dark, parallel stripes. They run perpendicular to the edge of the horns. Radial. Dark stripes extending radially from the subsolar point (the place where the sun's rays hit at right angles). Incorrect. They have a vague shape, can be either elongated or almost straight. Amorphous. Chaotic darkening that has no shape and cannot be described.
White (bright) spots on Venus Sometimes it is possible to observe bright spots near the poles of the planet. So-called “polar spots” can be observed for several weeks and are usually characterized by a slow appearance and an equally slow disappearance. Often spots appear around South Pole, less often in Severny.
Sketches of Venus in a 100mm reflector. Dark and light formations and irregularities of the terminator are visible.
Anomalies Schröter effect The so-called Schröter effect consists of a delay or advance of the onset of the moment of dichotomy (phase 0.5) by several days relative to preliminary calculations. Observed near the lower planets (Mercury and Venus). The reason for this phenomenon lies in the scattering of sunlight along the planet's terminator.
Ash Light Another interesting illusion occurs when Venus is in a narrow crescent phase. Sometimes during these periods you can notice a slight glow in the unlit part of the planet.
Contour unevenness Combinations of dark and bright details, which appear more clearly near the terminator line, create the illusion of unevenness. This phenomenon is difficult to notice visually, but usually shows up well in photographs of Venus. The planet becomes like a piece of cheese, as if carefully gnawed by mice from the edge (near the terminator).