Post by Paulie pchris00 on Jul 14, 2012 15:21:35 GMT -6
The Brightest Nightime Solar System Trio and Our Star
(Thanks Centaur)
I woke up about 4:30 AM this morning, and although I detest getting out of bed at that hour, the conjunction of Luna, Jupiter, Venus, and Aldebaran was too good to miss. I went outside to document the occasion, and stayed out until well after sunrise.
I could see Aldebaran to the upper right of Venus, but it was too dim for my camera.
Of course, I also brought out my Dob to have a look at the planets and Moon.
Not a very good image of Venus. It probably didn't help that I forgot to adjust my camera settings from trying to image the planets in the dark to something more appropriate for Venus at the eyepiece.
When I turned to Jupiter, I saw three of the Galilean Moons, one of which had just emerged from behind the mighty planet. With help from Cartes du Ciel, I later determined that moon to be Europa. Io was eclipsed by Jupiter.
Jupiter and three of the Galilean Moons.
A cloud moves in over Venus.
The waning crescent Moon.
I watched as the Moon and planets climbed the ecliptic, and the eastern sky continued to brighten.
Venus emerging from behind a cloud.
I observed many clouds, watching how they evolved and moved over time. I'm fascinated by the way our atmosphere behaves, and watching clouds gives clues to what's going on in the sky. Here's just one example.
The Moon was still a tempting target, but daylight was washing out the contrast.
I don't know what time I lost Aldebaran or Jupiter naked eye, but I could see Venus until it was covered by a cloud at 5:52 AM CDST. It was getting hard to see, though, and I would have lost it in a few minutes anyway. Although Venus isn't visible in any of this sequence, this was when I lost it for the day.
These clouds first covered Luna, then Venus.
By the time the clouds got Venus, I could tell by the brightening of the sky that the Sun was probably above the horizon, but still below the treeline. I waited for el Sol to rise above the trees to have a look at the active regions that have bombarded us with a solar storm this week.
Finally high enough to observe!
What a nice morning for a conjunction with a little bit of Sol.
