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New Year's Eve Planet Conjunction Thread

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Author Topic: New Year's Eve Planet Conjunction Thread  (Read 4386 times)
martinastro
Martin Mc Kenna
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« on: December 19, 2008, 05:46:27 pm »

I think it's about time we got some info together for this conjunction. Any data for various locations and charts are welcome. Got this in an email from David Moore.

This New Year's Eve, 5 planets and our Moon will put on a spectacular show in the evening sky to celebrate the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, the United Nations International Year of Astronomy. Uranus, Venus, Neptune, Jupiter and Mercury, along with our own Moon, will be visible in the evening skies in the same stretch of sky. The most spectacular of all will be a blazing Venus beside the Moon. This event only happens a few times every century so don't miss out!
 
Thanks for John McConnell for this chart.

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Roman White
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« Reply #1 on: December 19, 2008, 08:09:41 pm »

This New Year's Eve, 5 planets and our Moon will put on a spectacular show in the evening sky to celebrate the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009, the United Nations International Year of Astronomy.
Now I understand why 2009 was chosen as an IYA. They looked for a year with a great planetary conjunction on the start and a partial lunar eclipse on the finish  Grin

I hope that everyone will have at least a bit of clear skies in the New Year's eve.  Smiley

A sky chart from my site...
« Last Edit: December 22, 2008, 12:04:34 am by Roman White » Report Spam   Logged

SkyWatcher 130/900mm EQ3, Bresser 76/700mm, 20x90 bino. and other, Olympus SP-550UZ
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« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2008, 10:40:29 pm »

Thanks Martin and John for the chart i will be keeping to camera on stand by!
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Tyler
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« Reply #3 on: December 22, 2008, 07:05:54 am »

i attempted to shoot this tonight but apparently Mercury is not even visible after sunset! and in 10 days its supposed to be with Jupiter! Yikes! hope it is visible by the 27th, as I am going to Minnesota on christmas day, through new years eve, eve (30th)
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« Reply #4 on: December 22, 2008, 08:01:53 am »

Quote
i attempted to shoot this tonight but apparently Mercury is not even visible after sunset! and in 10 days its supposed to be with Jupiter!
Mercury does move rather fast .... and Jupiter is heading for the horizon quite quickly. Not the best conditions for those of us in the North.
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martinastro
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« Reply #5 on: December 27, 2008, 03:37:14 pm »

Planet Venus looks stunning at the moment with the naked eye in broad daylight!. I just looked out my window and could see it within a few seconds against a glorious crisp Winter's sky.  Smiley
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Paul
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« Reply #6 on: December 27, 2008, 05:45:21 pm »

Went up the road for a few photos and a scout around with the binos - caught Mercury, Jupiter and Venus

Here's Mercury, so-called as it's always right down in the Merc....



And Venus showing a clear phase now....

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rjgjr
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« Reply #7 on: December 27, 2008, 07:02:50 pm »

Good catch Paul, keep em coming.
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Paul
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« Reply #8 on: December 27, 2008, 07:33:56 pm »

Thank you Richard!

One other planet caught this evening, a little later on after true darkness arrived - Neptune. Unfortunately there a little shake on this one - N marks the spot!

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martinastro
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« Reply #9 on: December 27, 2008, 11:10:07 pm »

Good shooting Paul. Nice line about Merc too Smiley. Love that image with Venus and Neptune!

Was at the shore of Lough Neagh this evening in Ballyronan Marina. Seen a stunning volcanic sunset with intense colours with Venus and Jupiter on show. I had a great location but just could not see Mercury at all so I am one down on the planet list. That colourful sky was the best I have seen in a long time.  A few shots. Colours are untouched.





Jupiter is in there too if you look closely. Severe frost all day and night here.



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rjgjr
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« Reply #10 on: December 27, 2008, 11:24:25 pm »

Great shots Martin and fantastic range of light spectrum. What are the volcanic sunsets all are always talking about?
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Paul
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« Reply #11 on: December 27, 2008, 11:45:05 pm »

Lovely shots of the sunset and planets there Martin! Once I'd got the camera set up on the new 'scope and focussed correctly I didn't do any widefields at all. Actually as you can tell from the Mercury shot I was at my favourite westward viewing spot in Raloo, but the widefield view isn't so good as all the powerlines from Ballylumford Power Station appear in the foreground.

Richard, ever since a volcano went off somewhere in Alaska we've had these purple/orange sunsets due to the dust thrown up into the upper atmosphere - it's been a few months now. In ideal conditions like tonight they can be very impressive - Martin's photos are showing the colours as they appeared this evening.
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rjgjr
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« Reply #12 on: December 28, 2008, 05:14:35 am »

Thanks for the info on the volcano sunset, I thought it might be something like that. I was thinking more like Iceland, but you've probably had that also.
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martinastro
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« Reply #13 on: December 28, 2008, 04:14:39 pm »

Thanks very much Paul.

Richard, we have been getting these colourful sunset after-glows for months now but this one was the best I have ever seen. Might put a few more up on a new thread. Here's a link to some info...

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/fz106.htm

http://www.atoptics.co.uk/atoptics/sunvolc.htm

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rjgjr
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« Reply #14 on: December 28, 2008, 04:29:50 pm »

Thanks again for all the great photos gentlemen. I'm sure we have the same volcanic sunsets here on the west coast, I just didn't realize it. I have hundreds of clear sky sunset photos, I'll have to go back through them and take a look more carefully. Martin, thanks for those two website links about the different sunsets and such, very interesting.
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