Crescent Moon, Venus, and Jupiter with Sub-Zero Temps

Below zero air temps and about -25 wind chills in NE Ohio this morning didn’t stop me from going outside to get a photo of the crescent moon, Venus, and Jupiter in the southern sky.

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Orion and Planets Shine Bright

There were some high, wispy clouds in the sky before dawn, but there were enough gaps to get some quick star and planet photos this morning. Sun rise was about 2 hours away,  but there was some light from the sun hitting the clouds high in the atmosphere, plus ambient light from ground level. This gave the clouds - barely visible to the eye - some lovely color with the long exposure. It’s a great time of year to see Orion in the southern sky, and I was lucky that Jupiter, Mars, and Venus were visible in the eastern sky. Here are a few photos. These pictures are single images (not stacked photos), all taken with a wide aperture and a 30 second exposure.

The constellation Orion is visible, identified by the three stars that comprise the "belt.")

(Jupiter is near the center of the photo, with Mars and Venus below and slightly left.The tree in the following photos appear green from light being cast by a nearby outdoor light fixture.)

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Jupiter Shines Bright As Dawn Approaches

Jupiter was very bright in the eastern sky this morning;  so bright that it, and one of its moons, were clearly visible as dawn approached.    Here’s a look!

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The Moon, Jupiter, and Its Moons (Photos)

Today’s early morning sky was crystal clear and the setting moon was full. Just to the left of the moon was a bright object that was likely a planet. I got out my camera to take a few photographs before I researched which planet I was seeing.

Imagine my surprise when I viewed the photos on my computer to find that the planet- Jupiter – was also surrounded by a few of its moons. Granted, the shot shows a slight “trail” from the movement cause by the earth’s rotation and my long camera exposure, but it is still amazing to see the moons so clearly despite the brightness of the full moon.

I got another surprise when I looked at a photo of a random grouping of stars to the west and saw a faint streak in the image of the sky. I think I captured a meteor!

The Moon, with Jupiter at upper left

Jupiter and its Moons

Faint meteor at bottom left

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