Venus -Jupiter conjunction 18/08/14

A perfectly clear evening had been replaced with complete cloud cover by 4am, but eventually, 18 minutes before sunrise, managed to spot a still-glinting Venus through binos. It was only when checking the recordings later that I realised Jupiter had been captured also:)

Included this morning's cloudy crescent moon inset for scale, with the planets below and right of centre:

Typical, when I got up at 6.30 the sun was blazing in the sky.

Sorry you missed it guys.

Paul

Total flop with Liam, Bob and me. with the big exception of met eireann, every other weather forecast website simply got it wrong. The sky was completely overcast from 1 to 6am. Wouldn't it be great if we could sue these so-called weather experts!

Still this day week, we have a Mars -Saturn conjunction. Any ideas on a location for that one?

Aubrey.

Where was everyone in Sandymount? I turned up at 4.45 to discover I was on my own. It was also completely overcast. However there had been a clearing when I was leaving the house. I hung on in there and my patience paid off. At 5.15 a clearance gradually came in from the north. I even saw a bright perseid meteor. There was still persistent cloud hugging the horizon to the east. Then about 5 minutes later I spotted the pair with the naked eye just above the Baily Lighthouse with Jupiter to the bottom right of Venus. I also had binoculars but they looked more impressive with the naked eye. Cloud covered them again after about 10 minutes. Then around 5.40 they emerged again. Jupiter became invisible to the naked eye around 5.50 but I could see Venus right up until sunrise. I was also amazed by people out walking and jogging at 5 a.m.!

Patricia

Humble apologies, Patricia, for not showing up.

Liam, Bob and myself had judged at 4am that since there was persistently overcast cloud cover, we were not going to go down to Sandymount. It is quite clear to me, now that you are informing me, that we should have; after all you saw the conjunction and we did not. So congratulations to you!!
Perhaps the next time you would inform me if you are going to whatever location that has been suggested for a special event, please.

Aubrey.

Hi,

Patricia, great you saw it.

From here there was some low cloud on the morning of the 18th August, but eventually the pair cleared the cloud and was a striking sight to the naked-eye.

The next morning they has separeted a little, but in a way appeared even more spectacular in a darker and wonderfully clear sky.

See Variable Star Nights for images on both mornings.

John