Re: Urban Fables: Stellar by Sunlight

[Rondo JEFFERY <RJEFFERY@WEBER.EDU>]

Since this thread has evolved away from whether seeing Venus in
daylight is a myth, to who has and who has not seen it and under
what conditions, let me add my $0.02 worth and another data point.

Michael Edmiston's comments about seeing conditions in Ohio
reminds me that in the 70s, when we lived in Michigan, I saw
Venus from my home in the northern suburbs of Detroit as late as
11:00 am (clear, blue sky), and from the downtown Detroit campus
of Wayne State University as early as 4:00 pm.  On both occasions
you had to know right where to look, but it was easily visible with
the naked eye.  The water content of the air in Detroit is probably
not too different from Bluffton, Ohio, which is something like a
hundred
and fifty miles to the south.  Anyway, I saw Venus in daylight
several times from the Detroit area.

I have also made daytime sightings from Ogden, Utah, of course,
but the air is quite a bit drier here.

Rondo Jeffery
Weber State University
Ogden, UT 84408-2508
rjeffery@weber.edu


> > > edmiston@BLUFFTON.EDU 03/25/02 08:10AM >>>
> Our sky in Ohio typically has enough water vapor that our "fair" days
show
> up as gray-blue rather than blue.  This means it is hard to see Venus
at
> midday with eyes alone... the surrounding sky is just too bright.
>
> But it is a piece of cake to see venus with a small telescope if you
know
> where to look.  Binoculars also work if you have a steady hand and
make sure
> to stay away from looking at the sun.
<snip>
> Later in the day when the sun is almost down, it is easy to see venus
even
> slightly before sundown, but I don't think this is what this
discussion is
> about.  I have little doubt we could pick up venus midday with our
eyes if
> we had a very dry sky.
>
>
> Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.              Phone/voice-mail:
419-358-3270
> Professor of Chemistry & Physics        FAX:
419-358-3323
> Chairman, Science Department            E-Mail
edmiston@bluffton.edu
> Bluffton College
> 280 West College Avenue
> Bluffton, OH 45817