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Venus was in superior conjunction on August 18th, 2003, moving into the evening sky and will be shining as a bright evening star this winter and spring until its inferior conjunction on June 8th, 2004. The greatest eastern elongation, about 46º, occurs on March 29th. The magnitude of Venus will then be a bright -4.4, and even -4.5 a few weeks later. After the June conjunction Venus will be a morning star until March 30th, 2005. In late summer and fall of 2004 it will shine brightly in the eastern morning sky. The greatest western elongation will occur on August 17th. You can see Venus all day long if it is far enough from the sun, and if you know where to find it. Binoculars will help locating it, but Venus is definitely a naked-eye object even in blue sky and bright sunlight. You should of course find a place where the Sun is hidden behind a tree or a building to make this midday planet-staring easier. |
| Quality | Unit | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Mass | kg | 4.87 x 10^24 |
| Diameter | km | 12104 |
| Mean density | kg/m^3 | 5250 |
| Escape velocity | m/sec | 10400 |
| Average distance from Sun | AU | 0.723 |
| Rotation period (length of day) (retrograde) |
Earth days | 243.0 |
| Revolution period (length of year) | Earth days | 224.7 |
| Obliquity (tilt of axis) | degrees | 178 |
| Orbit inclination | degrees | 3.39 |
| Orbit eccentricity | deviation from circular | 0.007 |
| Mean surface temperature | ºK (ºC) | 726 (+453) |
| Visual geometric albedo | ratio (0 to 1) | 0.59 |
| Highest point above mean planetary radius Maxwell Montes |
km | 17 |
| Atmospheric components | carbon dioxide nitrogen water vapor |
96% 3% 0.1% |
| Surface materials | basaltic rock altered materials |