Comments on: The Moon and Venus, a gorgeous pair

By: Tom Hail

Tom Hail — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 20:51:34 +0000

Kimberly… that is the planet Venus, the same one Phil is talking about here.

A reliable place for Astronomy info and what is in the sky is:
http://www.heavens-above.com
Enter your location and then go down to the Whole Sky Chart in the Astronomy section.

Don’t let the name fool you, it is for serious sky observing, start, planets, and satellites.

By: Missy

Missy — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:18:59 +0000

I noticed this on the 26th as well as I was walking toward the bus stop! I tried to get a picture but between it being a phone camera (8MP or not it’s still a phone camera trying to take a picture of the sky) and it being just over the Jack in the Box sign I couldn’t get a good one. Thanks for posting these!! I have a feeling I have found a couple new phone wallpapers

By: Kimberly Faires

Kimberly Faires — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 04:48:47 +0000

Hello. I am really struggling here in San Francisco (8:43pm Mon. Nov 28th, 2011) and I would relish some help from someone. Every evening, very shortly after sunset, as I am looking at the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco, I have noticed (only this month) an incredibly bright, almost fire-like, planet (I think) that is very, very close to the horizon to the left of, or south of, the setting sun. I watch it as it appears to rise into the sky and then it is gone….or at least I am unable to discern it from other stars…..all of this occurring within the first hour or so after the sun sets. I took some incredible pictures with my digital camera tonight and I don’t know what planet I am seeing. There is so much misinformation on the web in regard to astronomy and much that is overtly conflicting. I know of no one whom can assist me and I happened upon your website. I am happy to share my photo(s) with you if you are interested….and I hope that you are. Thank you, in advance, for your time and help.

By: Grand Lunar

Grand Lunar — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 04:05:42 +0000

Good ones, Phil!

Makes me wish I had the means for sky photography. Oh well.

On the other hand, I did manage to spot a couple of bright meteors lately, so that makes up for it. A little….

By: Yuri

Yuri — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:40:36 +0000

Saw this last night while driving – nice pic, but the view from Adelaide was awesomer (purple cloudbank from the horizon to about 5 degrees up, stunning sunset colours behind it). Was cursing my lack of camera

By: Ragutis

Ragutis — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 01:31:19 +0000

Nice shots, Phil. The scene caught my eye yesterday evening on the way to buy lights and decorations. I ended up just standing in the Lowes parking lot for 10 minutes or so looking West.

By: Mikerbob

Mikerbob — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 23:20:04 +0000

Phil – saw this at about the exact time and place as you (coming down S. Boulder Rd. from the top of the mesa)… Very cool.

By: Solius

Solius — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:07:33 +0000

Years ago, when I worked the graveyard, I loved trying to see how close to new Moon I could still see the crescent. If memory serves, my person best was about 28 hours before new one morning back in ’07.

By: Neil

Neil — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:42:51 +0000

I have taken some shot today from Hyderabad India 6PM Local Time.
With Sony Cybershot HX9V Digicam , Manual Mode
Some with HDR SCN mode and some with ISO 800 and 1/20 s exposure
https://picasaweb.google.com/neil.ghosh/MoonVenus27thNov2011?authuser=0&feat=directlink

By: KC

KC — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:37:08 +0000

If you missed this last night – you can catch the Moon & Venus again tonight (Sunday night). Venus will be below and right of the Moon.

By: Jason

Jason — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:07:55 +0000

I was able to get the is sometime back when Venus and the moon were near each other in the sky one morning. 300mm handheld shot, braced on the hood of the car.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3582/3464890947_e00d9bdd1e_o.jpg

By: Len

Len — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 13:30:59 +0000

I don’t think that’s Mercury, the angular separation isn’t great enough. Last night, Mercury was 8° away from the Moon, while Venus was only about 3.5° away (at least, that’s what Starry Night tells me for Boulder at sunset…). More likely it’s a bad pixel.

Anyway, these are very nice pics! I was just talking about Earthshine in my Grade 9 Science class on Friday, we’ll have to continue the conversation this week.

By: Ian S

Ian S — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:23:19 +0000

Hey Phil, you got mercury as well… In the second picture on flickr, just above the branches, dead centre above the right hand chimney…

I’ve spent the last month tracking the conjunction between mercury and venus, last month all three were within about 2 degrees and clearly visible.

By: Tracy

Tracy — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 05:47:40 +0000

Thanks, Phil! Awesome shots! Your tweets motivated me to dust off my telescope. In addition to Venus and slivery moon, we got to see Jupiter and at least four of its moons. There may have been five, but I’m not ready to commit to the one speck as being a moon. If only there were somebody around who knows a bit about astronomy…

By: hale-bopp

hale-bopp — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:01:58 +0000

I took some pics with higher resolution camera and could see the phase of Venus. Venus is lit on the right side (like the Moon) but well over half lit, as opposed to the crescent Moon. You might expect them to have the same phase since they are next to each other in the sky. However, Venus is on the far side of the Sun (more than 90 degrees) behind Earth in its orbit and the Moon is currently kind of between the Earth and the Sun (no directly between…that would be a new Moon). Venus was full when it was at superior conjunction and its phase is now shrinking whereas the Moon was new when it was between the Sun and Earth an its phase is waxing.

In your last picture, you can just make out the phase of Venus. Look closely! Your camera has a 10x zoom which is enough to see the phases if you get the exposure right.

By: Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum

Richard Drumm The Astronomy Bum — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:01:54 +0000

I saw them while I was walking our dog, Jato. It was partly cloudy, though. I first just saw the Moon, then later as the gap in the clouds moved I saw Venus, but the Moon was gone. I wasn’t sure how close they were… Nice!

By: Kevin

Kevin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 03:40:08 +0000

Very nice images Phil. If it wasn’t raining here, I would have been out shooting this as well. I was even hoping to get Mercury, which was tot he lower right of the Moon.

I’ve got Moon/Venus shots before, but you can never have too many.

By: Stephen

Stephen — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 02:16:18 +0000

I saw this pair as I was flying home today. What a thrill to have a front-row seat!