Jupiter-Venus Conjunction Peak

The past several predawn mornings have been absolutely stunning times for observation of the stars and planets. The seeing conditions have been exceptional, giving many in the northern latitudes an opportunity to see something quite extraordinary: Jupiter and Venus passing within 1° of each other as they rise ahead of the sun. Today, 18 Aug, was the "big day" when the conjunction was at it's closest.

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I had gathered by gear the night before and loaded everything onto the beach wagon. Debating which telescope to take, I opted to leave the trusty C8 behind and take the new 90GT. It turned out to be the perfect choice. I also brought the Cometron 12x70 binoculars and my camera with the 400mm lens. The alarm went of shortly before 4:00 am and I walked to the beach, wagon of gear in tow.

Orion and Moon 18 Aug 2014

Still completely dark, the Moon shone bright overhead, now a waning crescent. Orion was directly below the moon equally striking. I set about capturing some images of Orion and the Moon while I waited for Venus and Jupiter to rise. A fox hunting in the dunes kept me company.

Next, setting up the telescope. With a few minutes to spare, I took some time to enjoy Orion's Nebula with the telescope and binoculars. Periodically, I glanced to my left and followed a line down from Pollux and Castor to the northeast horizon where the planetary duo would make their first appearance. The binoculars were perfect for Orion, with the dagger just fitting within the field of view. I slewed up to the Pleiades for a brief look and then turned my attention to the final preparations for the conjunction. I chose the 9.4 mm eyepiece, to isolate only Jupiter and Venus in the view. With them so close, they just fit. The camera was mounted to the tripod and prepared to capture those first images.

There were a few thin clouds low to the horizon that gave incredible texture to the sky as the red hues began to overtake the predawn indigo. As the dancers took the stage, I found myself so excited to be seeing this event. It isn't often that I find myself in a prime location with excellent seeing conditions for astronomical events. This one couldn't have been more perfect! As Jupiter rose a fist width above the horizon, its four moons; Ganymeade, Io, Calisto and Europa came clearly into view as did the banded stripes of the gas giant's surface. Venus' thick atmosphere continued to reflect the sunlight like a distant headlamp. In the telescope, Venus is a curious swirling disk of light. With the camera, I was even able to capture the Beehive Cluster (M44) gathered slightly to the north, like the company observing the lead dancers.

Lauren joined me and I was able to share my observations with her and she took her own hand at the binoculars, telescope and camera to make her own observations and images. As I was joined by a partner, the fox too was joined by a second. As the planets faded in the rising sun, we began to pack everything back up. Just as the last piece of equipment was placed in the wagon, Lauren noticed the intense orange-red disk of her favorite star rising above the horizon. "Quick, grab the camera!" It was a special morning.

Sunrise Over Atlantic, Brigantine Beach, NJ
photo by Lauren Tucker