Astronomy Digital Picture – 1/6 seconds, ISO 80, 17.5mm f/3.2, on 29 Dec 2006 6:40PM
10 Jan 2007
Watchout for the goddess of love and beauty, now seen as the “evening star” planet VENUS. (Using binoculars, look for bright Comet McNaught 30 minutes after sunset, lower right of Venus )
Venus is the brightest object in sky after sun and moon. Its size is comparable with Earth, but not temperature! Surface temperature of venus is about 700K.
243 Earth days makes one Venus day! Venus one day is slightly longer than one year and retrograde too. Whether its a resonance effect or merely a coincidence, the periods of Venus rotation and of its orbit are synchronized such that it always presents the same face toward Earth when the two planets are at their closest approach.
Goddess of love and beauty, Venus has no satellites.
Tomorrow’s picture – M6 and M7 Star Clusters
Posted by naveenln 
Astronomy Digital Picture of the Day 