Venus Meets Pleiades
Taken by Howard L. Cohen on April 2, 2020 @
Gainesville, Florida USA
Click photo for larger image
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: Unavailable
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Details:
Photo apparently shows a supernova on edge of Pleiades Star Cluster, 2020 April 2 taken with a small (76-mm) refractor. Not a supernova but a picture of Venus at the edge of the Pleiades less than one degree from the cluster's center.
The image of Venus simulates the appearance of a "supernova" but heavily overexposed to show much fainter cluster stars. Here Venus shines at magnitude -4.5 overpowering even the brightest cluster stars by 900 to 10,000 times.
Venus moved into the cluster next day (2020 April 3) but the brilliant glare of Venus would probably have hidden many Pleiades stars.
A second, labeled photo shows the actual disk of Venus superimposed on first photo. Taken about 15 minutes later with same 76-mm, f/6.3 telescope. A very short exposure used so not to overexpose disk of Venus (26-arc sec across and 46% illuminated).
Notice, even with a small telescope, enlargement of the image of Venus clearly reveals waning crescent disk of the planet if not overexposed.
Telescope: Televue APO Refractor, 76 mm, f/6.3
Camera: Canon EOS 5D II
Mount: iOptron iEQ30
Exposure: Stack of seven 30 sec exposures, f/6.3, ISO 1600.
Exposure Information for Venus on Second Photo: 1/8000 sec, f/6.3, ISO 800.
Photographer's website:
https://http://www.astroadventures.net/cohen/pic_categories.html
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