why is it called the belt of venus
That light is still reflecting off the atmosphere to your east, but now some of it is blocked by Earth itself even, just a little, by you standing on that hilltop. I love to watch the sunrise and sunset. The main sunrise show over my right shoulder is usually yellow (ish) but this back show is Lavender/Pink/Orange. Great article. Also known as the Girdle of Venus, it's the pink band layered between the blue sky and the Earth's rising or setting shadow - the deep blue-gray band along the horizon. Fred simply mentioned the Belt of Venus, but I thought it needed more explanation.So I picked up a phrase from the internet, and described the Belt of Venus as "an arch of pinkish light above the shadow that Earth casts on the atmosphere opposite the sunset." Just before the sun rises in the east, a blue line is apparent in the atmosphere just above the western horizon, and above the blue line is a broader pink band. The dark shadow is topped by a rosy pink glow - the 'anti-twilight arch sometimes called the 'Belt of Venus'. Created by Moonlight Developments. I guess the shadow is the same effect as the crepuscular rays mentioned by Derek, except that the shadow was below me rather than above. When its visible, the belt will appear anywhere from 10 to 46 over the horizon line. Why is Venus so hot? May 1, 2014 Sarah Palmistry, Relationships 0. It was an Icy Alpenglow Morning right at sunrise up yonder on the ridge tops. Copyright 2017. Most people know about the Heart Line in Palmistry, which represents your approach to love and commitment. During a cloudless twilight, just before sunrise or after sunset, part of the atmosphere above the horizon appears slightly off-color, slightly pink. Great article. I'll pay more attention next time. The dark band of the Earths shadow at dusk and dawn often has a light pink arch above it, known as the Belt of Venus. P.S. Wikimedia Commons / flagstaffotos.com.au / GFDL, Fred simply mentioned the Belt of Venus, but I thought it needed more explanation.So I picked up a phrase from the internet, and described the Belt of Venus as "an arch of pinkish light above the shadow that Earth casts on the atmosphere opposite the sunset." As the Sun sets or rises its light moves through the atmosphere and casts a shadow of the Earth onto the sky. Now there's a thin band of bluish sky below the pink. Its called the Belt of Venus. 26/12/2012. The pink color in the belt is sunlight that is shining through denser atmosphere near the Earths surface, and being reflected off of atmosphere at the opposite end of the sky. Some people even have a second Heart Line, which floats above the first. You are, in fact, seeing Earth's shadow. Belt of Venus: the Other Side of Oregon / Washington Coast Sunset - From an astronomer, inside look into the floating phenom called the Belt of Venus . What are those artifacts? Venus is often called the Earths sister planet. It is radically different from Earth in other respects. As an astronomy writer, I knew the term, of course. What a wonderful article. The pink is called the Belt of Venus and also antitwilight. Venus is The Earth and Venus are very similar in size with only As a child we often looked east during sunset to see the "skyblue pink" as my Mother called it. The beauty of them are simply fascinating to me. February 21, 2010 We call it Alpenglow - the pink lighting of the mountains in the east after sunset. DrSheldon DrSheldon. I drive eastward on the way home from work, and at the time of year when sunset coincides with that drive, the Belt of Venus is always a welcome treat. Partly it's because it's a fairly subtle effect. They named them after their most important gods. What is the largest object that we can see? It is now clearly rounded, taller in the middle than on the sides. It tempts me with what's waiting behind that beautiful, rising curtain if only I take the time to get the telescope out the door when I get home. Improve this question. It is a border to the shadow, but it also forms a striking arch though an exceedingly low and broad one. Your explanations will make me focus in on more of the details of this amazing wonder in the sky. Thank you, you have made this phenomenon more special than it already was. Looking west I clearly saw the Belt of Venus but didn't realize it was a named phenomenon. Why is the Belt of Venus so little known? I have some good photos of this. There's a reason why dawn and dusk look so picturesque; arguably the most beautiful time of the day the sky becomes. It's popularly believed that this Grecian statue depicts the The belt is similar to alpenglow, which creates a reddish glow just over the horizon. Right after the Sun sets, tear your eyes away from the arresting scene in the west, and look east to see a bright pink band opposite the Sun. After an asteroid belt comes the outer planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. World of Phenomena Atmospheric Belt of Venus. Someone want to try to explain this? This is an interesting subject but the vertical bands in the pictures get in the way of seeing the belt. I had always interpreted this 'belt' as part of what Minnaert had called the 'purple light'. Why is a Venus spacecraft called Planet-C? http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4260274/page/2/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1, Nights of the Living Dead What Stars Leave Behind, Pluto's Moon Charon Receives Formal Names, Hunting White Dwarfs, the Night's Stellar Peewees, Juno Will Stay in Current Orbit Around Jupiter, By Jove! The main show over my shoulder is usually yellow (ish) but this backshow is Pink. (You can unsubscribe anytime). The planet was named by the Romans who observed the sky and the planets. If you stand facing the Belt and just lean over sideways, you get the same effect. July 13, 2017. Fifteen minutes after sunset, the pink has dissipated. One day, the pair receive a message from a nearby land called the Belt of Venus that they are plotting to overtake both Dusk and Dawn's home, unless they want to make peace with them. Credits: marder17. Sky & Telescope is part of AAS Sky Publishing, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the American Astronomical Society. Because their scale can be hundreds of miles long, they often show convergence effects on the set sun and its anti-point. Sky & Telescope, Night Sky, and skyandtelescope.org are registered trademarks of AAS Sky Publishing LLC. The Romans knew of seven bright objects in the sky: the Sun, the Moon, and the five brightest planets. Fred Schaaf's Northern Hemisphere's Sky column for June 2010 discusses some phenomena that are visible in twilight, one of them being the Belt of Venus. Thanks for an interesting article on something that, as you say, people often pay little attention to. Why is Venus sometimes called Earth's twin? It is best seen during the summer months, on clear and slightly hazy evenings. Here in the Colorado Rockies at 8000 to 10000 feet we see this every clear evening - about 300 times per year! Six minutes after sunset, the dark blue band below the pink ribbon is beginning to take on shape and substance. This is the light of the sunset where you're standing being reflected off the atmosphere some 50 or 100 miles east of you, as shown above. It is called this due to an association of the phenomenon with the greek goddess Aphrodite and roman goddess Venus. Crepuscular rays are another lovely phenomenon also under-appreciated and little-understood. Backscatter causes the colors of the belt to become more pronounced and vivid right before the sun rises or just after it sets for the day. It's thanks to that citrusy wedge called the Belt of Venus, and neighboring it are the blankets of blue and purple. By: Bob King Thanks for your article. The painting attracts with its intimacy, the elegance of the image. According to the ancient legend, in this wonderful belt love, desire and words of seduction were made. Unfortunately, I had no first-hand experience to fall back on. The almost hot pink layer of clouds just above earths shadow is called the Belt of Venus which is a lot like alpenglow, but it is in the atmosphere and it can last longer than alpenglow. Type: Canvas, Metal, Framed Print, Art Print. Sky & Telescope maintains a strict policy of editorial independence from the AAS and its research publications in reporting developments in astronomy to readers. However, the bands in Greg's photos are most likely artifacts from post-processing of image-stitching (merging of more than one image panorama from a camera). The dark blue layer in the sky below the pink belt is Earths shadow being cast onto the atmosphere. And you don't actually have to look between your legs. Cupid, playful kid, pulls the ends of the blue silk belt, carefully watching his mother. My most recent photograph of the Belt of Venus is posted at http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/4260274/page/2/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1. Follow asked 8 hours ago. In some ways, the Belt of Venus is similar to the alpenglow, which is also caused by the scattering of reddened sunlight. Going fast! This is called a Girdle of Venus (see photo).The Girdle of Venus may be complete (as in the picture) or, more often, composed of broken or overlapping lines.This marking has a Venus is the second planet from the Sun, but C is the third letter of the alphabet. The bottom line is that as usual, both Fred and I are right. The Belt of Venus, Venus's Girdle, or antitwilight arch is an atmospheric phenomenon visible shortly before sunrise or after sunset, during civil twilight, when a pinkish glow extending roughly 1020 above the horizon surrounds the observer. As the Sun is setting in the West, the belt will be visible in the eastern sky (remember that its visible opposite the sun). Simply, they are shadows of clouds or geology like mountains cast across the terminator at either dawn or dusk. They make great gifts. Earths shadow extends millions of miles out in space, which is why we have lunar eclipses. Belt of Venus Street. Several factors contribute to the Belt of Venus phenomenon. The effect is due to the reddened sunlight being backscattered in the atmosphere, which produces the rosy glow. The pink band above the shadow in the east after sunset, or west before dawn is called the Belt of Venus. I'm curious as to where the name originated from. venus akatsuki. Fred demurred, describing it as "pinkish border to Earth's shadow.". https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/113781782904370895078. Also known as the Girdle of Venus, it's the pink band layered between the blue sky and the Earth's rising or setting shadow - the deep blue-gray band along the horizon. And reading about it in various sources, it was obvious that I must have seen it dozens or hundreds of times, but I had never recognized it. Dusk and Dawn recruit the humanoid Keeper and his tribe to learn more about the Belt of Venus. November 18, 2015, By: David Dickinson The bounds of the CHZ are based on Earth's position in the Solar System and the amount of radiant energy it receives from the Sun. Why is Venus sometimes called Earths twin? Earths shadow extends millions of miles out in space, which is why we have lunar eclipses. 12/1/11 While this phenomenon can be seen at sunrise, the best time to find it is at sunset. Years ago, when I was taking Astronomy 101, my professor told us that if we turned our back on the Belt, bent over, and looked at it through our legs, it would appear much brighter. This back show is called the Belt of Venus which is often on going while your watching the sunrise. Case in point: We know that Venus's distance from the Sun is .72 times the Earth's distance from the Sun. It extends about 10-20 degrees up from the horizon, acting as a boundary between the shadow and the sky. So the lowest part of the atmosphere opposite the sunset is no longer lit up. Print Size: Venus is one of the 5 planets visible with the unaided eye. Get yours today. But even more, though people go out to watch sunsets all the time, they rarely think to turn away from the spectacular vista in the west and see what's happening on the opposite side of the sky. Called the Belt of Venus, this off-color band between the dark eclipsed sky and the blue sky can be seen in nearly every direction including that opposite the Sun. The lunar calendars are here! 14, Yes, I would like to receive emails from Sky & Telescope. The blue line is earth's shadow. In astronomy and astrobiology, the circumstellar habitable zone (CHZ), or simply the habitable zone, is the range of orbits around a star within which a planetary surface can support liquid water given sufficient atmospheric pressure. February 21, 2017, By: David Dickinson We are used to seeing glorious sunsets and sunrises, but on the opposite horizon to the Sun a little-known atmospheric phenomenon called the Belt of Venus named after the Roman goddess of love can be witnessed, offering equally stunning views. During the transit of Venus, two observers on Earth view Venus at two different points on the Sun. All rights reserved. This post is a nice treat, Tony. Fred demurred, describing it as "pinkish border to Earth's shadow." They show as bands arcing or arching upwards into and sometimes across the sky. Why is it called the Belt of Venus? The shadow forms a perfect pyramid that I think many climbers misinterpret as mirroring the shape of the mountain, but it is almost certainly just a distance/convergence effect. We thought he was just trying to make fools of us, but when we tried it, it worked! Surprisingly, it has started to lift off the horizon. 36.9k 9 9 gold badges 123 123 silver badges 238 238 bronze badges It was an Icy Alpenglow Morning right at sunrise up yonder on the ridgetops. How did Venus get its name? The Belt of Venus is an atmospheric phenomenon that creates a pink band in the sky at sunrise and sunset. Straight above, blue sky is normal sunlight reflecting off the atmosphere. This means that ancient people knew of Venus, and tracked its movements in the sky. Its called the Belt of Venus. By: Tony Flanders You are watching the onset of night. The glow is highly reddened sun rays backscattered by the atmosphere. It is visible at sunrise or sunset, but is more pronounced at sunset. Thanks to Kepler's third law , we know the relative distances of all the planets from the Sun. The Belt of Venus has several names, including. Visible in the above photograph, this off-color band between the dark eclipsed sky and the blue sky can best be seen in the direction opposite the Sun and It is not associated with the planet Venus. What causes the pink and deep blue on the horizon opposite the sun before sunrise or after sunset? Venus de Milo's title is a bit misleading. It is not associated with the planet Venus. Fortunately, it was clear the next few nights, so I was able to observe the Belt of Venus several times in a row, both in the evening and morning. The best conditions for getting a nice view are when the sky is clear, when theres minimal wind and humidity, and when there are no obstructions on the horizon. The inner planets (in order of distance from the sun, closest to furthest) are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. Share. Venus is a terrestrial planet and is sometimes called Earths sister planet because of their similar size, mass, proximity to the Sun, and bulk composition. The goddess of beauty and love, Venus coquettishly covers her face from immodest looks. : I've had great fun over the years teaching people how to do this. Oxford University's Dr Colin Wilson worked on the European Space Agency's Venus Express probe (2006-2014), and is a leading figure in the development of a new mission concept called EnVision. Soon, Earth's shadow will grow and darken dramatically, and eventually it will cover the entire sky, allowing you to look out at the greater universe that's usually hidden by the Sun. The Sun is now setting about 100 miles west of you. April 23, 2018, By: David Dickinson I climbed Mt Hood in Oregon a few years ago, arriving at the peak at sunrise. It is called this due to an association of the phenomenon with the greek goddess Aphrodite and roman goddess Venus. But you can still make out Earth's shadow in the east as a huge, low hump of darker sky along the horizon exactly the opposite of the normal situation, where the sky is brightest along the horizon and darker toward the zenith. Stay Eat Events Weather Beaches. When its visible, the belt will appear anywhere from 10 to 46 over the horizon line. Three minutes later, the pinkish band has become fainter, but with a richer hue. They are beautiful and your photos are awesome. I had never heard of the Belt of Venus but thoroughly enjoy the colors in the eastern sky at sunset. It is actually the area between Earths shadow and the blue sky. Venus is the second planet from the sun after Mercury. Additional information. All you need to see for yourself is a clear evening and a site with an unobstructed eastern horizon. The Belt of Venus is an atmospheric optical phenomenon, but could also be considered a space phenomenon. That's a great set of photos showing its progression from intense to subtle as it rises in the sky. This is the first time I've heard the term Belt of Venus applied. It actually does appear significantly brighter that way. In addition to the Belt, I could clearly see the shadow of Mt Hood projected westward. Th Earth's shadow comes in, too, called the "dark segment". Look westwards before dawn to see the reverse sequence. This pink back show is called the Belt of Venus which is often on She would have been thrilled to know the science behind it. As with alpenglow, predominantly red light is scattered by particulates, forming a pink glow. As the sun rose, the belt moved lower to the horizon. But, the Panoramas could become better. According to the Romans, the sky was comprised of seven bodies that shone the brightest; five planets, the moon and the brightest being the sun.They were thus named after the gods that they revered the most. Copyright 2021 AAS Sky Publishing LLC. During sunrise and sunset, the effects of scattering are magnified, which is why a rising and setting sun typically has a spectacular red glow. However, unlike the alpenglow, the Belt of Venus is caused by fine dust particles that are suspended in the atmosphere, which means that the Belt of Venus persists for much longer than other, similar phenomena.. As the sky lightens the Earth's shadow becomes more and more dark and distinct as it sinks towards the horizon. What a cool article I have often admired the pretty pink in the sky at sunset while walking on the beach or photographing moonrises, but never thought about the explanation. "The name is a mythological reference - the goddess Venus wore a gold filigree girdle." A hilltop, lakefront, or beach is ideal. Cupid unleashes the belt of Venus by Reynolds Joshua. Juno Images Jupiter's Great Red Spot. Althouh he describes it viewing west at sunset, the figure 169 (Light and color in the Outdoors, 1993 Springer-Verlag) illustrates that it is seen to the east as well. We'll call the angle between the two paths measured from Earth E . A nice article about a little-understood and under-appreciated phenomenon we have the chance to see frequently - if we only open our minds to it. Belt of Venus Framed.