Jump to content

  •  

CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.

Photo

Venus & Neptune / Moon & Saturn - 1/31/25

  • Please log in to reply
6 replies to this topic

#1 B 26354

B 26354

    Soyuz

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 3,754
  • Joined: 05 Jan 2017
  • Loc: Southern California semi-desert 33.75° N (NELM mag 5.3)

Posted 01 February 2025 - 02:38 AM

Just the slightest bit hazy this evening... but still a lovely set of sightings, since the late-afternoon's partial cloudiness had obligingly dissipated shortly after full darkness had settled upon the western sky. Even better... at just past 6pm, it was a pleasantly tolerable 55°F.  grin.gif

 

Saturn, at mag 1.1 and 1.5-degrees from the 2.5-day-old Moon, was easy to spot naked eye... and the pairing made for a charming and enjoyable duo in my 15x70 Celestron SkyMaster Pro ED.

 

This slightly-cropped, less-than-spectacular shot was taken with a tripod-mounted Askar ACL200 astro-lens and an Olympus OM-1. 1/4-sec at f/4 and ISO1600.

 

Moon & Saturn 1-31-25 - CN.jpg

 

 

In spite of their huge difference in brightness... the Venus/Neptune duet was only a bit more difficult. I'd plotted Neptune's position using SkyMap12 Lite... and thankfully, at 3.3-degrees distance from mag -4.6 Venus, it was in a relatively uncrowded section of sky, with Mag 7.9 Neptune forming an almost-right-angle triangle with two nearby stars of similar magnitude (7.6 and 8.9).

 

This was the first time I'd spotted Neptune in the Celestron 15x70s... but thanks to their excellent sharpness and contrast, I was pleasantly surprised to so easily detect the dim planet's obvious greenish-blue hue, as compared with the yellow-orange glow of the two neighboring stars.

 

Venus & Neptune 1-31-25 - CN 2.jpg

 

Venus & Neptune 1-31-25 - CN 3.jpg

 

 

The views of both groupings through the binoculars were infinitely nicer than my mediocre photos... but clicking on them will probably help.

 

biggrin.png


  • Dave Mitsky, Rich V., Erik Bakker and 3 others like this

#2 Terra Nova

Terra Nova

    ISS

  • *****
  • Posts: 33,071
  • Joined: 29 May 2012
  • Loc: Kentucky, just south of the Ohio River

Posted 01 February 2025 - 11:31 AM

Saturn, at mag 1.1 and 1.5-degrees from the 2.5-day-old Moon, was easy to spot naked eye... and the pairing made for a charming and enjoyable duo in my 15x70 Celestron SkyMaster Pro ED.

This slightly-cropped, less-than-spectacular shot was taken with a tripod-mounted Askar ACL200 astro-lens and an Olympus OM-1. 1/4-sec at f/4 and ISO1600.”

 

That’s a great pic! I like it!


  • B 26354 likes this

#3 treadmarks

treadmarks

    Surveyor 1

  • -----
  • Posts: 1,629
  • Joined: 27 Jan 2016
  • Loc: Southern NH

Posted 01 February 2025 - 01:56 PM

I was clouded up last night but I noticed this trio will be separated by about 3 degrees this evening and it will be clear. Doable with my AT72 and the temp will not yet be near the overnight drop of -3 F so I will be attending


  • B 26354 likes this

#4 B 26354

B 26354

    Soyuz

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 3,754
  • Joined: 05 Jan 2017
  • Loc: Southern California semi-desert 33.75° N (NELM mag 5.3)

Posted 01 February 2025 - 05:01 PM

I was clouded up last night but I noticed this trio will be separated by about 3 degrees this evening and it will be clear. Doable with my AT72 and the temp will not yet be near the overnight drop of -3 F so I will be attending

And the Moon shouldn't be so bright that it washes out Neptune... at least not visually. Hope you get to see them!


Edited by B 26354, 01 February 2025 - 05:04 PM.


#5 treadmarks

treadmarks

    Surveyor 1

  • -----
  • Posts: 1,629
  • Joined: 27 Jan 2016
  • Loc: Southern NH

Posted 01 February 2025 - 08:58 PM

No visual or photographic aids were needed for this - the two were a pretty sight in the sky. I did bring out my camera for this event though, and I don't often do astrophotography.

 

Pretty sure I was able to locate Neptune below Luna with my AT72, but could not resolve. They did all fit in the 5deg field though.

 

Nikon D7500 SLR with 300mm telephoto:

 

 


  • B 26354 likes this

#6 Dave Mitsky

Dave Mitsky

    ISS

  • *****
  • Posts: 122,673
  • Joined: 08 Apr 2002
  • Loc: PA, USA, North America, Planet Earth

Posted 01 February 2025 - 11:43 PM

The Moon and Venus were spectacular tonight. I also observed the 5 other planets in the so-called planetary parade and a number of DSOs using a 5" refractor and a 17" classical Cassegrain at the Naylor Observatory.
  • MrSyzygy likes this

#7 B 26354

B 26354

    Soyuz

  • *****
  • topic starter
  • Posts: 3,754
  • Joined: 05 Jan 2017
  • Loc: Southern California semi-desert 33.75° N (NELM mag 5.3)

Posted 02 February 2025 - 12:03 AM

No visual or photographic aids were needed for this - the two were a pretty sight in the sky. I did bring out my camera for this event though, and I don't often do astrophotography.

 

Pretty sure I was able to locate Neptune below Luna with my AT72, but could not resolve. They did all fit in the 5deg field though.

Good job!

 

I spent about an hour watching the lovely Venus/Moon conjunction with my Stellarvue 80, my APM 20x70s, and my hand-held GPO 8x56s. Knowing that Neptune was making an "almost" equilateral triangle with the Moon and Venus, I knew exactly where to look... but it was a little bit hazier here tonight than last night, so the glare from the Moon washed it out, and I was never able to definitively spot it... even though last night it was quite obvious.




CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.


Recent Topics






Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics