Venus at 00.33% phase continuing very bright

10 hrs UTC and bright sunshine near London, therefore after a look at the 4
rather small sunspot groups ~ decided to examine Venus ( 150mm aperture F8
refractor on driven equatorial mount ).

Offsetting by approx 4.75 degrees from the sun ( 1 degree northwards and 20
minutes RA following ) I cautiously removed the objective Baader solar
filter and looked down the tube from the objective end to see how far inside
the scope tube the off-axis sun was shining. O.K. - no problem, only a very
oblique and spread-out illumination, not reaching as far as the eyepiece
tube:- no threat of telescope tube or of optics overheating.
Approaching the eyepiece end of scope the brightness was not uncomfortable,
and I easily observed the crescent Venus , supposedly at 00.33% illumination
yet remaining brighter than minus 3 magnitude.
Best view in local atmospheric conditions seemed to be at around x 100 using
a zoom eyepiece. Using an orange filter did not seem to improve either the
comfort of viewing or contrast of the image.
Surely looks to be more than a 180 degree semicircle of Venusian upper
atmosphere visible in the scope; though I did not have the means to measure
exactly. I really will have to get one of those graticle marked eyepieces
sometime !

Less than 3 days to 00.00 phase , though I suppose even then some light will
be refracted or scattered around the upper Venusian atmosphere, so maybe
this planet never quite reaches 00.00% phase.

Anthony