Belt of Venus

This post is not about birds, nor is it about a visit to a harbour side bar.  The Belt of Venus is a astronomical/atmospheric phenomenon. It goes hand in hand with The Earths Shadow.

I only found out about these two things a couple of weeks ago.  I had seen them of course but did not realise what they were or that they had a name.

For over sixty years I have been in the dark.

It was Margaret who told me about them.  She innocently asked at a meeting of Fraserburgh Photographic Society a couple of weeks ago if I had heard about them.  I had to admit that I hadn't a clue what she was talking about.

Margaret told me that the Earths Shadow is just that.  It can be seen just before sunrise and just after sunset on a clear day.  It is the shadow that the Earth itself casts on its atmosphere. This shadow is often visible from the surface of the Earth, as a dark band in the sky near the horizon.  The Belt of Venus is an atmospheric phenomenon seen at the same time  The observer sees a pinkish glow that extends roughly 10°–20° above the horizon.  So you look for them above the horizon opposite the sunrise/set.

On Thursday I was able to photograph both the Earths shadow and the Belt of Venus on my morning walk.  I had the added bonus of being able to include the moon in one of the shots.

Panorama with Mormond Hill to the left

Mormond Hill

Through the Gate

Margaret and Alfie had just come back from a cruise around the Caribbean and up the Amazon.  One of the cruise lecturers was a NASA scientist.  He had explained about the Shadow and Belt in one of has talks.

So the Earths Shadow and the Belt of Venus are as easy to see on a clear day.  It's not rocket science, or is it?

I did manage to get some bird photos as well

Common Gull

Whooper Swans over Fraserburgh

Buzzard

Yellowhammer in the Road

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