Morning Moon Conjunction


This is the photo now appearing in Night Sky magazine. Venus and Jupiter are near the moon, with Jupiter closer. I took it last November 9 at dawn, from our roof in Greenpoint. I wrote very little in my observation journal:

November 9, 2004
7:02 a.m. (26 minutes past sunrise)
Our moon arrived at Jupiter today, so close (just half my 9x63 aperture) that no Galilean satellites were visible (they were IG/CE). Venus and Jupiter now take up almost a full length of my aperture. This is the closest that the moon will get to either planet this month (1.5 degrees perhaps). I took many photos, most from my window, and ventured for only 2 or 3 minutes onto the roof, so cold has it become. Very beautiful sight.

Comments

beche-la-mer said…
Great photo, Kevin. There's something to be said for the juxtaposition of a city skyline and the lights of the heavens, despite all my complaining.

Thanks for your comments on my blog, by the way. I hope you will post your planetary bodies essay soon. I think you have a more expansive view of the universe than I do; I like to put my planets in little well-defined boxes (because that helps my limited understanding of how the universe works) while you like to be more inclusive and leave the way open for future discoveries.

So I am looking forward to your essay and will approach it with an open mind. I may learn to love little icy KBOs nearly as much as their terrestrial and gaseous cousins nearer to home!
October 06, 2005 11:19 PM
Kevin Rosero said…
thanks, Beche, and I'll look for more photos on your blog. My essay's up now. You anticipated a lot of my remarks about the need for expansive models. I admit there's such a thing as being too expansive, though, and that's where I think a pro astronomer would be more disciplined. I'm waiting for Bad Astronomer's promised essay.
October 07, 2005 12:49 AM
0000 said…
Wow, amazing picture!
December 05, 2005 3:01 PM
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