Venus and Sun post-transit

Event Date: June 6th

Time: 5:45 AM


Brief

 
Did you have a chance to view the Venus transit yesterday, weather permitting?   As mentioned yesterday, the next one will not happen until December of 2117.
   If we continue our attention on Venus, we can now look forward to it emerging from the Sun in the morning sky, moving at its fastest in retrograde, and seen west of our star in a few weeks.  As I place Venus' orbit in the image below, it represents the improving geometry of the eastern morning sky this month. 

click on image to enlarge: courtesy of Starry Night Pro Plus, version 6.4.3, by Simulation Curriculum Corp.

Detailed

  Between now and October, not only does Venus separate itself quickly from the Sun, the geometry of the eastern half of the sky dramatically improves.  Not long after the summer solstice which happens in a couple of weeks, Venus catches up with the Sun in northern declination.  It will be after this time when the Sun continues to move south towards the September equinox, that Venus does so much more slowly.  As a result, the dates of/near greatest elongation will give another fine apparition of Venus; not quite as good as we saw it much of the spring east of the Sun in the evening, yet still excellent.  Later fall and winter months will mean that Venus will sink more and more quickly towards the horizon and Sun, as it approaches superior conjunction early next year.  During the start of 2013, when the Sun starts to move north again faster than Venus, we lose the planet from good view and altitude.  With all that said, the best months to look for Venus will be those of the first half of its time west of the Sun.
The cycle will be in reverse compared to the time in the evening sky: greatest brilliancy in a little over a month, followed by greatest elongation not long after.