Venus 2004


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Calculation of AU

We will count with circular Earth and Venus track. We expect observers are on two places at the same meridian.

Venus will project onto Sun disc on different places for each observers. This situation is drawn in first picture. Points A' and B' symbolise places where observer can see Venus from point A and B. Point S is middle of the Sun.

Venus seen from different places

In next picture, there is Sun from side view. Z-middle of the Earth, S-middle of the Sun, re - distance of middles Earth-Sun, rv - distance of middles Venus-Sun

Sun, Venus and Earth from side view

Congruence of angles APV and BPS says:

Δβ = βs ((βv / βs) - 1)

Now we can get value of Venus parallax with βv = |AB| / (re - rv) and Sun Parallax βs = |AB| / re.

Quotient βv / βs = re / (re - rv). When we place it to equation for Δβ we will get:

Δβ = βs rv / (re - rv)

We can count βs:

βs = Δβ ((re / rv) – 1)

Trajectory

We will define Δβ as angle distance between segments of lines.

We can get rv / re from Third Kepler Law, because we know the time of Venus and Earth orbit. There stand Third Kepler Law: a13/ t12 = a23/ t22

We elicit of it a formula: a13 / a23 = t12 / t22

a1 matches to segment of line re
a2 matches to segment of line rv

Time of Earth orbit is t1 = 365,25 days and time of Venus orbit is t2 = 224,7 days.

At last, we modify this formula to:

(re / rv)3 = (t1 / t2)2
(re / rv)3 = (365,25 / 224,7)2
re / rv = 1,38248

If we substitute this to formula for parallax, we will get:

βs = Δβ ((re / rv) - 1) = Δβ (1,38248 - 1)
ßs = 0,38248 Δβ

Finally, according to parallax definition, the distance Earth-Sun re

re = |AB| / βs
re = |AB| / 0,38248 Δβ

Now, we can calculate |AB| and Δβ from observed data.

Distance |AB| can be obtained with knowledge of observation places latitudes A and B. φ1 and φ2 are Earth latitudes of places A and B and R is an Earth diameter:

|AB| = 2*R*sin((φ1 + φ2) / 2)

If both places lay on the same hemisphere, an angle matches (φ1 - φ2) / 2.

Calculation of Δβ from bisectors (first picture):

According to little value of distance Δβ between bisectors A and B it is difficult measure it. We replace caculation of line segment |A'B'| by calculation of bisectors |A1A2| a |B1B2| (trajectories of Venus on Sun disc obtained by observers from A and B).

If we use Pythagorean theorem, we will get:

|B'S| = ((D2 - |B1B2|2)/4)1/2
|A'S| = ((D2 - |A1A2|2)/4)1/2

We need to count difference |B'S| - |A'S| to set |A'B'|

|A'B'| = [(D2 - |B1B2|2)1/2 - (D2 - |A1A2|2)1/2]/2

When we divide by diameter, we get:

|A'B'| / D = [(1 - (|B1B2| / D)2)1/2 - (1 - (|A1A2| / D)2)1/2]/2

Sun angle diameter which is observed from Earth, we point as U (in degrees). With the help of simple rule of proportion we get:

Δβ/U = |A'B'| / D

It says:

Δβ = U(|A'B'| / D),

Now, we have to substite Sun angle diameter in radians. Now we get

ΔΒ = (U π / 180) (|A'B'| / D),

If we use a formula for solar parallax, we will get a distance re Earth-Sun:

re = |AB| / 0.38248 (U π / 180) (|A'B'| / D)

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