What did you see in the sky tonight?

[Chris Peterson]

Ah, well. As I was rather expecting, clouds to the west blocked my view of the setting eclipsed Moon. I got a few shots of the partial phase while it was still above the clouds.

I was nicely situated to catch the total phase setting over the Continental Divide, but it never showed up. Would have been a nice shot... when I took this, the red Moon was just above the mountains on the right side of the picture.

[Fred the Cat]

Just to followup I messed up again. I thought the azimuth needed, for the moon rising, was 65 degrees so I captured the rising moon (camera attached to my 4 inch Celestron this time) coming up the hillside.

When I double-checked my records, it needed to be 69 degrees. Good news is - that's the azimuth when I look at the January 31st full moon. Now if only the weather and everything else goes right that night.

I guess it'll be a fun date in the Gem state!

It was just right...

Then the clouds came

Oh, the life of a wannabe astro p and, I suspect, the good ones too

[Chris Peterson]

Nice zodiacal light the last few nights. This is about 1.5 hours after sunset, and I could see it from the horizon all the way across the Pleiades overhead and finally intersecting the Milky Way just past that.

[Fred the Cat]

Nice conjunction tonight!

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[Fred the Cat]

A nice trio.

[Chris Peterson]

A nice trio. :ssmile:
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Nice. I was all prepped for getting that shot tonight, and a snowstorm blew through. Which is crazy, because we haven't had any snow to speak of this winter. Or much winter, for that matter. But tonight, of course...

[Ann]

A nice trio.
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Nice. I was all prepped for getting that shot tonight, and a snowstorm blew through. Which is crazy, because we haven't had any snow to speak of this winter. Or much winter, for that matter. But tonight, of course...

Very nice, Fred!

We didn't have much winter to speak of until late February, but then the King of Winter really established his reign. Now it looks as if he may stay until April (well, not really, but that is what it feels like).

Ann

[Ann]

This winter and cold spring, the sky has been almost constantly overcast where I live. So when I had to get up early this Sunday, and the still-dark sky was clear (if misty), I decided to grab the opportunity to try to spot Antares from my balcony. At my latitude, Antares is a rare sight indeed, and my best chance of seeing it from my home is before dawn in early April.

So I searched the area where I knew that Antares should be, and there! - very faint and very reddened, I saw it.

Otherwise, there were only two bright lights to see in the sky that morning. One was so bright and so far away from where the Sun would rise that it had to be Jupiter. But there was another startlingly bright light quite high in the sky, and I just assumed it was another planet, because it was so bright. But later, when I checked, there were no other bright planets in that part of the sky.

So I assume I saw Arcturus. I know it has happened to me in the past in the months of April and May, that there has only been one light in the sky visible from my balcony, and that has been Arcturus.

It was a strange morning sky: There was one extremely faint and red star, one brilliantly bright planet, and one star very high in the sky that was so bright it looked like a planet.

Ann

[Fred the Cat]

Bummer! I hate it when you only have your cell phone. Then you remember it's better with your own eyes. Cool conjunction tonight.

[CURRAHEE CHRIS]

This morning was one of the clearest we have had since I started observing. I had beautiful views of Jupiter and 4 of her moons, Mars and Saturn.

[Chris Peterson]

Another in the current cycle of monthly meetings between the Moon and Venus in the early evening sky.

[CURRAHEE CHRIS]

I was viewing last night and the weather was exceptional for Central Penn this time of the year. It was in the mid 60's with a slight wind and no humidity. I was able to view Jupiter and what looked like 8-10 moons. The four normal Jovian moons were obvious but then there were several other smaller objects all around Jupiter. I had a hard time seeing everything real clear since the wind was causing a shake in my tripod. Was it possible I was seeing more than the four moons though? My telescope is rather mundane, good for a novice like myself (Celestron 60AZ Explorascope).

Any insight would be appreciated. I am thinking what I was seeing was stars rather than really small moons. I think I was just able to see them because the skies were so unusually clear last night and Jupiter is so bright.

Thank you for any insight.

[Chris Peterson]

I was viewing last night and the weather was exceptional for Central Penn this time of the year. It was in the mid 60's with a slight wind and no humidity. I was able to view Jupiter and what looked like 8-10 moons. The four normal Jovian moons were obvious but then there were several other smaller objects all around Jupiter. I had a hard time seeing everything real clear since the wind was causing a shake in my tripod. Was it possible I was seeing more than the four moons though? My telescope is rather mundane, good for a novice like myself (Celestron 60AZ Explorascope).

Any insight would be appreciated. I am thinking what I was seeing was stars rather than really small moons. I think I was just able to see them because the skies were so unusually clear last night and Jupiter is so bright.

Thank you for any insight.

There's really no way you could have seen any but the Galilean satellites with a 60 mm telescope. The only other Jovian moon that's reported to be visible visually is Himalia, and that with instruments in the 400 mm aperture and larger range. As you suggest, it was most likely stars.

[CURRAHEE CHRIS]

Thank you for that clarification Chris. It was an exciting view, even though it wasn't what I was hoping I was seeing.

[Chris Peterson]

A really pretty sky, about 90 minutes after sunset (10 pm local). Venus was casting shadows against a white screen.
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[Ann]

A really pretty sky, about 90 minutes after sunset (10 pm local). Venus was casting shadows against a white screen.
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Beautiful, Chris.

What is that cluster? Is it the Beehive?

Ann

[Chris Peterson]

A really pretty sky, about 90 minutes after sunset (10 pm local). Venus was casting shadows against a white screen.
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Beautiful, Chris.

What is that cluster? Is it the Beehive?

Ann

Yup, the Beehive. That's a 30-second exposure, and it almost exactly matches the visual appearance of the sky.

[Ann]

Noctilucent clouds! Finally I got to see them this year, too!

They are not so high, not so wide and not all that brilliant. I've seen better. But still: Noctilucent clouds! Finally!

Ann

[Chris Peterson]

The new Moon and Mercury just a couple of degrees apart. Venus was in the same visual view, but outside this image frame.
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Update: Here's a wider view of the scene. Probably have to click to the full size image to see Venus and Mercury.
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[Fred the Cat]

The clouds were trying their best to block

tonight's conjunction

but even the moon managed a faint appearance.

In Boulder the next 10 days. I wish Guffey wasn't so far off the beaten track. I'd like to see the view from there!

[Chris Peterson]

I wish Guffey wasn't so far off the beaten track. I'd like to see the view from there!

Being off the beaten track is why we live here!

I was prepared for tonight's conjunction, but it was raining. Not complaining... we've had some rain the last week, the first moisture in months. And desperately needed, with fires burning all around us.

[CURRAHEE CHRIS]

Well, yet again Central Pa proves it is not the most ideal place to be an amateur astronomer! Clouds blanketed the entire evening into the dawn. I did however get out Saturday night/ early Sunday morning. I did catch one meteorite that went screaming overhead. I caught some views of Mars on my scope as well. I did make the most of it and took out my books to identify the Perseus constellation so it wasn't a loss by any stretch.

[Fred the Cat]

Beautiful sunrise this morning

But as the Earth rotates in our solar system

Gravity makes it hard to sense its perspective like this

[Fred the Cat]

The moon and Mars are close tonight but not close in luminosity.

Need to learn how to cut and paste.

Or I could try it through a dirty window (but that would be unconventional)

[Chris Peterson]

Rising moon and mountain bluebird, set in the Belt of Venus. Moon one day post equinox, one day pre full.
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