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VENUS - The brightest planet to grace our skies. Venus outshines every celestial object except for the Moon. Venus is one of the planets, along with Mercury and Mars, that shows distinct phases. Most folks might think that Venus is brightest during her full phase, but that is not true. When full, Venus is farther away from us than when she is in a partial phase. As a crescent, Venus is the brightest and most dazzling jewel of the night sky. Alternately known as the Morning star or Evening star depending upon which side of the Sun it is viewed from our perspective, Venus is similar in size, density, mass and composition to the Earth. However, the similarities end there. The intense brightness with which Venus shines is due to the highly reflective and dense atmosphere surrounding the planet. It is mainly comprised of carbon dioxide and has clouds formed by droplets of sulfuric acid. The surface temperature of Venus is a scorching 900 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature makes the Venusian landscape hotter than the planet Mercury and is due to a runaway 'greenhouse' effect that allows sunlight in through the atmosphere, but the dense layers of carbon dioxide trap the heat radiating from the surface. Other interesting differences between the Earth and Venus are a surface pressure that is 92 times that of our planet at sea-level and a rotation that spins in an opposite direction than our own. On Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the east. On June 8th, 2004 observers around Earth witnessed an event that hadn't occurred for 122 years; the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun. Europe, Africa and the Middle East were the favored locations and observers there had a chance to observe the transit in its entirety. By timing the event, scientists are able to determine the distance between the Earth and Sun. This measurement, in turn, provides data permitting us to better understand the size of our solar system. Transits of Venus, while rare, come in pairs. The next transit with be June 5-6 2012. All of the United States will have a chance to observe this event. In the 'lower 48' the transit will still be in progress at sunset. But in Alaska and the westernmost islands of Hawaii, the entire transit will be visible. More information about the transits of Venus and the significance of this event can be found here. Imaged April 27th, 2004 with a ToUcam Pro webcam, 4x Televue Powermate on my Meade LX-90 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope at Tres Placitas Observatory Santa Fe, NM
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