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From: dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: StarDate: August 27 The Return of the Planet Venus
Message-ID: <442@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Aug-84 02:00:34 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.442
Posted: Tue Aug 28 02:00:34 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 30-Aug-84 09:04:15 EDT
Organization: UTexas Astronomy Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 37

The planet Venus is returning to our evening sky.  More on how to watch
for it -- right after this.

August 27  The Return of the Planet Venus

Venus is the world just inward from Earth in our solar system -- and
the brightest planet ever visible in Earth's sky.  That's partly
because it's fairly near both Earth and the sun -- and mostly because
Venus is blanketed by thick clouds that are good at reflecting
sunlight.

So Venus often appears as the brightest object in the sky -- the
glittering morning or evening "star." But Venus has been gone from our
sky since about last March -- because it and the Earth have been moving
on opposite sides of the sun.  Venus moves faster than Earth -- but not
much faster.  It took about six months for Venus to start coming up
behind Earth in orbit -- to get to a place with respect to our world
where we can see it once again.

Venus may or may not be visible to the naked eye from where you live
now -- but Monday evening is a good time to look, since then the planet
Venus will be near in the sky to the very young crescent moon.  If
you're hearing this broadcast before sunset, take a look in the west
during evening twilight for a bright pinpoint very near the slim smile
of the moon.  You'll need a clear sky, an unobscured view of the west
-- and binoculars will help, if you have them.

The bright face of returning Venus will be difficult to spot in the
twilight -- but guaranteed to inspire a smile when seen for the first
time since it slipped into the dawn last March.



Script by Deborah Byrd.


(c) Copyright 1983, 1984 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin