It was finally time to photograph Venus once again, close up. Over the past several years I have posted Venus “cameos” where the planet was a dot in the sky, maybe next to the Moon, for example. But here, finally, I used my Mak-Cass to pinpoint on Venus and nothing else.
Photography
Jupiter and Venus Together on March 1st, 2023
Sometimes there are appointments and commitments that interrupt even my astronomy hobby on important dates. This past Wednesday was one such occurrence. For despite the close approach of Jupiter and Venus and the remarkably clear skies (minus wisps of clouds), I was unable to be anywhere near my telescope or to have a passable astrophoography camera setup to record the event.
Moon in Late February, 2023
I have not posted an image of the Moon since last year, for a variety of reasons, but here is a good one from this past cycle in late February 2023.
Jupiter and Venus After Sunset, February 26th, 2023
A view over my house of Jupiter and Venus close in the sky, after Sunset on February 26th, 2023.
Window of Opportunity — Mars Opposition 2022
The sky was still not ideal, with a Full Moon. And with Mars almost due above, I had difficulty manually nudging the telescope. The focus wasn’t quite right. Despite all this, one set of my Mars videos was passable.
My First Mars of the 2022 Season
The Mars opposition is days away, and though I have been watching the planet night and morning, this was may first take at it in over two years.
Lunar Eclipse through iPhone 14 Pro, November 2022
I photographed the eclipse this morning 4 a.m. I used my iPhone 14 Pro with “Night mode” for the final image, through 127mm Mak-Cass telescope.
Jupiter with Great Red Spot, October 2022
It took weeks trying for the right chance, but I finally was able to decently photograph Jupiter and its Great Red Spot this year.
Using Computer to Capture Jupiter
After Jupiter opposition this year, I started using my MacBook as a camera screen extension. In this article, I show results from over a week.
First Moon with iPhone 14 Pro
Tonight was my first opportunity to try photographing the Moon with my new iPhone. All in all, it went well, I think, for this inaugural attempt.