The dense clouds shrouding Venus perfectly reflect sunlight. Exactly thanks to it it is the brightest of visible planets. It is easy to distinguish it with the naked eye, stronger than Venus in the sky only the Moon and the Sun shine.
Instruction
1. For a start you need to choose observation time correctly. Usually Venus becomes well seen in an hour after sunset or for an hour before its rising. Inhabitants of the Northern hemisphere are recommended to observe this planet in the spring when in the evenings it ascends rather highly and keeps in the sky up to midnight.
2. At an evening dawn Venus appears in the West, and on morning – in the east. At the same time it never deviates the sun more than by 47-48 degrees. It should not be looked for too highly over the horizon. It is possible to calculate Venus on its brightness which in two dozen times surpasses brightness of Sirius. So, the brightest (after the sun and the moon) a point in the evening or morning sky undoubtedly will be Venus. Besides, one more parameter will help to distinguish it from stars: planets, unlike stars, never flicker.
3. Venus can also be observed in the field-glass during daylight hours. However it is the for this purpose best of all to determine its approximate coordinates in advance. For this purpose you should use the special computer program planetarium, such as Stellarium or StarCalc. So you will be able to learn in what party it is necessary to look for Venus and what its arrangement concerning the Sun and other celestial bodies will be.
4. It is the most convenient to define position of Venus concerning the Moon those days when two of these bodies are in the sky rather closely to each other. Use of the program planetarium will be not superfluous and when planning evening and morning observations of Venus with the naked eye. In this case you will be able to be guided not only across the Moon, but also on stars. Besides, the program planetarium will prompt you optimum time of the beginning and end of observation.
5. It is the best of all to make out Venus it is possible at the moments of passing of this planet between Earth and the Sun. It happens rather seldom, however, you will be able to become the witness of this event - June 6, 2012.