Venus returned to the evening skies in spectacular fashion in early northern spring, 2001. But the planet's eastern (evening) elongation properly began after superior conjunction on 2000 June 11. Mario Frassati (Crescentino, Italy) provided the first observations, recording cloudy details on the far-off, almost full disc. Experienced observers have sometimes noted that the delicate Venus markings are slightly more pronounced near full phase. In August 2000 David Fisher (Sittingbourne, UK) and Peter Wade (Morecambe, UK) joined Frassati in his daylight excursions, the former also recording disc patterns.

Compare these drawings by skilled observers (south at top). Could the bright feature recorded at the lower left by Fisher using a W80A blue filter be identical with that shown by Frassati (also using a W80A filter) 7 days later in his drawing at lower right? At left: On 2000 August 25, 11.20 UT, David Fisher (21.5cm Newtonian x153, x176) recorded a streaky disc pattern along with a lighter south cusp and a bright area adjoining the limb [Note by Director - dotted lines have been added to Fisher's drawing to indicate the boundaries of the bright areas, according to an "intensity sketch" provided by Fisher]. At right: Mario Frassati (20cm Schmidt Cassegrain x160, 250) shows similar features.

The UV CCD work of David Moore and Frank Mellilo featured at this elongation.

David Moore (Phoenix, Arizona, USA) captured a series of near UV images in 2000 December that clearly show dynamic bright (UV reflective) and dark (UV defective) features in the upper Venus atmosphere.

Analysis of phase estimates made in 2001 January indicates that half phase (dichotomy) occurred between January 15 and 16. This is approximately 4 days earlier according to the theoretical time of dichotomy, 2001 January 19.48, calculated by Jan Meeus. Observers whose phase estimates were used are: Clive Brook, Ed Crandall (USA), Alan Heath (UK), Richard McKim (UK), Cliff Meredith (UK), R Schmude (USA), Bob Steele (UK), Tom Teague (UK), Daniel del Valle (USA).

As Venus gradually grew larger in the telescope, more observers turned to the task. Although somewhat muted, diffuse and, at times absent during this elongation, the Venus cusp caps were carefully sketched in November and December 2000 by watchful planetary enthusiasts.

Ed Crandall's 25cm Cave Newtonian has been out of action lately, but undeterred he used his 7.6cm Refractor (x125, x166) to sketch the south cusp cap on 2000 November 30, 17.05 UT. Ed also suspected a dark collar to the cap. Centre: Daniel del Valle (Puerto Rico, USA) shows both cusp caps on 2000 December 12, 21.22 UT (20cm Schmidt Cassegrain x203). At right: Richard W Schmude Jr (Barnesville, GA, USA) shows both cusp caps, together with indentations at the terminator and dark cusp collars bordering the caps, 2000 December 12, 23.50 UT (10cm Refractor x230).

A blunted appearance at the northern cusp of Venus was noted by observers Lee Macdonald and David Fisher.

At left: Lee Macdonald (Newbury, UK) shows blunting of the northern cusp on 2001 January 14, 15.25 UT (22cm Newtonian x215, integrated light and W15 yellow filter, seeing Antoniadi IV-V). At right: David Fisher shows the blunted north cusp on the same date at 12.25 UT (21.5 Newtonian x153, x230, apodising screen, integrated light, blue 80A and red 23A filters, seeing Antoniadi III).

The elusive and streaky atmospheric patterns on Venus are notoriously hard to depict, but on 2001 February 17 they appeared in curvilinear and filamentous form to three observers. At 16.15 UT the careful eye of Bob Middleton (Brightlingsea, UK - 25cm Newtonian x130, W25 red filter) observed a very faint curved filament of shading trending north-preceding/south-following on the planet's southern hemisphere, matching the trend of shading also observed there by del Valle in a red filter and by Richard Mckim at 15.45 UT, 21.6cm reflector x232. The Director's sighting on that day, also in red/yellow filters, is in agreement with del Valle's rendering of the planet's southern hemisphere.

At left: Daniel del Valle shows "swept" patterns on the disc (2001 February 17, 22.22 UT, 20cm Schmidt Cassegrain x225, W23A red filter). At right: Bob Steele shows a similar "swept" appearance (2001 February 17, 15.20 UT, 10.2cm refractor x250 W25 red and W15 yellow filters stacked). South at top. The slightly irregular terminator shown by Steele was also sketched by Cliff Meredith on the same date.

Terminator irregularities feature in the work of many observers. Drawings depicting a similar set of irregularities were sent in by del Valle. Fisher, and Schmude for 2001 February 23.

At left: Daniel del Valle's delicate depiction of the terminator hints at two irregularities close to the mid-disc region (2001 February 23, 22.18 UT, 20cm Schmidt Cassegrain x225, integrated light, W25 red and W80A blue filters). Centre: David Fisher's drawing shows the indentations strongly (2001 February 23, 18.05 UT, 21.5cm Newtonian x153, x230, apodising screen, W23A red filter). At right: Richard W Schmude Jr shows the indentations unmistakably (2001 February 23, 21.29 UT, 10.2 cm Refractor, x230, integrated light).

The months of February and March 2001 also produced reports of bright spots at the Venus cusps and elsewhere on the disc. Thus on 2001 February 7 at 17.00 UT Bob Middleton, observing with his 25cm Newtonian x130 under a bright sky in seeing rated Antoniadi II, saw an unusually brilliant tip to south horn of the thick crescent. He noted that in a W85 amber filter "it shone absolutely brilliantly, I have not seen anything like it before. I liken it to 1^st magnitude star." Mr Middleton has been observing Venus for more than 30 years. On 2001 February 23, David Fisher strongly suspected the presence of small bright spots in integrated light at the Venus cusps. Interestingly, Alan Heath (Long Eaton, UK) also reported discrete but larger light spots near the cusps around this time; reports that are lent more credence in view of Heath's remarkable confirmatory observation the "Heath-Meredith spot" later in March.

David Fisher's sketch of suspected bright spots at the cusps (2001 February 23, 18.05 UT, 21.5cm Newtonian x153, x230, integrated light, apodising screen).

Alan Heath (2001 February 17, 17.30 UT, 25cm Newtonian x175).

Alan Heath (2001 March 7, 17.50 UT, 25cm Newtonian x175 - the spot was probably best seen in W58 Green filter).

Alan Heath (2001 March 10, 18.00 UT, 25cm Newtonian x175).

During early March, as the crescent phase narrowed and the planet's apparent size increased in the telescope, the bright limb band of Venus was prominent. Damian Peach imaged the spectacular sight on 2001 March 05.

Venus in integrated red, green, blue light on 2001 March 05, 18.17 UT, Damian Peach (Kings Lynn, Norfolk, UK), 30.5 cm LX200 schmidt-cassegrain at F21, ST-5c camera, SBIG RGB filter set, seeing and transparency good. Note the bright limb band.

We received very few Ashen Light reports at this elongation and, in the Director's opinion, none of those received are sufficiently reliable for further discussion here. This is reinforced by the completely negative results of the Director's visual checks for the phenomenon using a 10.2 cm Refractor, occulting bar and filters and also by those carried out over the same period by Frank Mellilo (NY, USA) employing CCD equipment and a 20cm Schmidt Cassegrain.

The earlier discussion of bright spots leads us on to perhaps the most significant observations of the elongation. From mid-March 2001 Venus exceeded 50 arc seconds in diameter while the crescent narrowed to less than 10% of the disc diameter. In this situation most observers devote their attention to seeking sunlit extensions of the cusps and ashen light phenomena. However, on 2001 March 19 at 17.40 UT Cliff Meredith (Manchester, UK) made the following report: "Very thin crescent. Note bright sector seen both visually [and confirmed using Lee Light Blue filter] in the crescent and displayed on CCD image." Coincidentally, on the same date circumstances forced Alan Heath to abandon his 25cm Cave Newtonian in favour of his veteran brass 7.6cm Refractor (that formerly belonged to the legendary BAA Jupiter section Director, W E Fox). At 18.20 UT, using a power of x90, Heath suspected a bright region roughly midway between the cusps - a remarkable confirmation of Meredith's observations by the experienced English observer using a small instrument.

The Heath-Meredith bright spot. At left and centre: Cliff Meredith's CCD image and drawing respectively. At right: Alan Heath's observational drawing.

Cusp extensions were seen, but there are no reports of complete encirclement of the disc with a ring of light (unlike the 1999 inferior conjunction). Dogged by poor seeing, the Director and Raffaello Braga confirmed south cusp extension on 2001 March 19. But more notably Richard W Schmude Jr and Massimo Giuntoli (Monsummano Terme, Italy) captured the sight in drawings. Lee Macdonald also noted the "amazingly bright" filamentary crescent in a blue sky from the UK just 8 hours after inferior conjunction, making his, technically, the first observation received of the planet's next western elongation.

Lee Macdonald's view 8 hours after inferior conjunction (2001 March 30, 11.45 UT, 22cm Newtonian x91, seeing Antoniadi IV).

In conclusion, while searches for ashen light resulted in disappointment, Venus surprised us with a remarkable phenomenon on its narrow crescent. The elongation closed, as it opened, with an enigmatic bright patch.