Comments on: Conjunction! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 04:52:03 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: CR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/comment-page-1/#comment-6563 CR Sat, 17 Sep 2005 01:49:49 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/#comment-6563 Well, I got some pics back I took on 28 August 2005 of Jupiter & Venus over a lake. One out of five turned out clear; the others were slightly blurry because I was holding my camera's shutter open by hand with no tripod. (You'd think the large boulder I rested the camera on would have been stable, but obviously, the photographer was not... take that in more than one way! ;-) ) This next point's off topic, but in a way, it ties in with Phil's ISS pic above... Tonight (just about an hour ago), I was sitting on a neighbor's front porch when I noticed a bright light in the sky approaching roughly from the west. It was too fast to be a plane, so I immediately guessed it was a satellite. As it passed nearly overhead, I was awed by how bright the thing was, and realized it might actually be the ISS. I (along with the neighbors and their kids) kept tracking it until it became lost in the glare of the full moon, then went inside to my house & did a quick internet search to find out where the ISS was. We had indeed seen the space station! Well, I got some pics back I took on 28 August 2005 of Jupiter & Venus over a lake. One out of five turned out clear; the others were slightly blurry because I was holding my camera’s shutter open by hand with no tripod. (You’d think the large boulder I rested the camera on would have been stable, but obviously, the photographer was not… take that in more than one way! ;-) )
This next point’s off topic, but in a way, it ties in with Phil’s ISS pic above… Tonight (just about an hour ago), I was sitting on a neighbor’s front porch when I noticed a bright light in the sky approaching roughly from the west. It was too fast to be a plane, so I immediately guessed it was a satellite. As it passed nearly overhead, I was awed by how bright the thing was, and realized it might actually be the ISS. I (along with the neighbors and their kids) kept tracking it until it became lost in the glare of the full moon, then went inside to my house & did a quick internet search to find out where the ISS was. We had indeed seen the space station!

]]> By: JusANuttaBackYahdah http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/comment-page-1/#comment-6561 JusANuttaBackYahdah Sun, 11 Sep 2005 22:10:34 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/#comment-6561 Have been watching the conjunction also with much enjoyment and have been blessed with a great stretch of weather here in NH. Yes, Richard Board when the crescent moon was added it was a fabulous site & don't stop with the picture taking, practice, practice. To scotia47 & hotjupiter, if you're interested in viewing the ISS go to skyandtelescope.com; enter your location info in the almanac section; after setting up click on more info in almanac and you'll see any visible passes for the ISS with exact times and sky locations. I use this site often and get great info for sky watches Clear skies to all Have been watching the conjunction also with much enjoyment and have been blessed with a great stretch of weather here in NH. Yes, Richard Board when the crescent moon was added it was a fabulous site & don’t stop with the picture taking, practice, practice. To scotia47 & hotjupiter, if you’re interested in viewing the ISS go to skyandtelescope.com; enter your location info in the almanac section; after setting up click on more info in almanac and you’ll see any visible passes for the ISS with exact times and sky locations. I use this site often and get great info for sky watches
Clear skies to all

]]> By: art http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/comment-page-1/#comment-6562 art Sun, 11 Sep 2005 17:01:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/#comment-6562 hello; Was in daughter back yeard and notice them in the night... Did not know about Jupter but knew one was venis.. Had a great view last week here in middle tennessee hello;

Was in daughter back yeard and notice them in the night… Did not know about Jupter but knew one was venis.. Had a great view last week here
in middle tennessee

]]> By: Richard Board http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/comment-page-1/#comment-6560 Richard Board Fri, 09 Sep 2005 12:22:04 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/#comment-6560 Alas, my attempts at astrophotography were not successful Thursday. Yes, the sky was clear and the celestial objects appeared on cue; but my skill at capturing digital images was not up to the task. I was also amazed at how far apart the three objects appeared, compared to the night before, when I saw them from the highway. I'm going to need lots more practice at this, but it was still fun. If you want to see a really beautiful photo of the conjunction, go to http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050909.html and check out what is possible with skill and experience. Alas, my attempts at astrophotography were not successful Thursday. Yes, the sky was clear and the celestial objects appeared on cue; but my skill at capturing digital images was not up to the task. I was also amazed at how far apart the three objects appeared, compared to the night before, when I saw them from the highway. I’m going to need lots more practice at this, but it was still fun. If you want to see a really beautiful photo of the conjunction, go to http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap050909.html and check out what is possible with skill and experience.

]]> By: Richard Board http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/comment-page-1/#comment-6559 Richard Board Thu, 08 Sep 2005 13:19:03 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/#comment-6559 Finally! Last night (9/7) I was able to see the beautiful conjunction of a four-day-old crescent moon, Venus and Jupiter aligned from east to west just after sunset. I was driving home toward the setting sun and the sky was absolutely perfect - completely clear, low humidity - great seeing. The moon was obvious long before the sun had slipped below the horizon, Venus appeared very brightly just as the sun reached the horizon, and Jupiter came out a few minutes after sunset. I was so distracted from my driving that I stopped along the highway and just watched the scene for 10 minutes. Then I tried to get home in time to try my luck at photographing the conjuction, but I was too late. I'll try again tonight, since I'll be home and the forecast is similar to last night. I hope my wide angle lens will take in the whole scene, since they cover a wide expanse of sky - I'm guessing 15 degrees or more. How cool is this stuff!? Finally! Last night (9/7) I was able to see the beautiful conjunction of a four-day-old crescent moon, Venus and Jupiter aligned from east to west just after sunset. I was driving home toward the setting sun and the sky was absolutely perfect – completely clear, low humidity – great seeing. The moon was obvious long before the sun had slipped below the horizon, Venus appeared very brightly just as the sun reached the horizon, and Jupiter came out a few minutes after sunset. I was so distracted from my driving that I stopped along the highway and just watched the scene for 10 minutes. Then I tried to get home in time to try my luck at photographing the conjuction, but I was too late. I’ll try again tonight, since I’ll be home and the forecast is similar to last night. I hope my wide angle lens will take in the whole scene, since they cover a wide expanse of sky – I’m guessing 15 degrees or more. How cool is this stuff!?

]]> By: hotjupiter http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/comment-page-1/#comment-6558 hotjupiter Sun, 04 Sep 2005 20:45:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/#comment-6558 Thanks so much for this! Because of it I was able to go out Wednesday night and recognize what I was seeing; being in Toronto and having no idea what time I was out, I have no idea if it was the ISS I saw, but I did see some sort of distant satellite-type thing pass. Very cool! Thanks so much for this! Because of it I was able to go out Wednesday night and recognize what I was seeing; being in Toronto and having no idea what time I was out, I have no idea if it was the ISS I saw, but I did see some sort of distant satellite-type thing pass. Very cool!

]]> By: Richard Board http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/comment-page-1/#comment-6557 Richard Board Sat, 03 Sep 2005 23:00:46 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2005/09/01/conjunction/#comment-6557 Thanks for the great photos, Phil. It has been overcast every night for the last 10 days at my WV home on the Ohio River - until last night, when the skies cleared beautifully. I was still unable to see the planetary conjuction, because I didn't get outside until almost midnight (Friday night high school football). I'm hoping to see the beautiful king and queen of the planets tonight. I've been starved for sky gazing for nearly a month, because of poor "seeing." It's reassuring to find all of the stars and plantets just where my Starry Night software said they would be! Unlike astrologers and other soothsayers, science can and does predict the future accurately. Thanks for the great photos, Phil. It has been overcast every night for the last 10 days at my WV home on the Ohio River – until last night, when the skies cleared beautifully. I was still unable to see the planetary conjuction, because I didn’t get outside until almost midnight (Friday night high school football). I’m hoping to see the beautiful king and queen of the planets tonight. I’ve been starved for sky gazing for nearly a month, because of poor “seeing.” It’s reassuring to find all of the stars and plantets just where my Starry Night software said they would be! Unlike astrologers and other soothsayers, science can and does predict the future accurately.

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