Yesterday the Moon passed in front of the Sun to produce this partial eclipse which I viewed using the Sunspotter telescope shown at the top. Some western states saw an annular eclipse where the Moon passed through the center of the solar disk to produce a “ring of fire” completely around the Moon shadow. SinceContinue reading “Passing Shadow”
Tag Archives: Moon
Skinny Side of Morning
It was not surprising to see thin, waning crescent moon in the early morning, but Venus? Yes, even Venus shows phases as can be seen in the telescopic images above. It recently passed between the sun and earth, and was nearly invisible then. Now it is rising higher and higher in the sky and veryContinue reading “Skinny Side of Morning”
Morning Moon
It was too good an opportunity to pass up, so I stopped on this morning’s walk to take this photo. Earlier the stars and the thin moon had shone through the trees with the dark portion of the moon seemingly embraced by the grinning crescent. Now the glow of the rising sun has drowned outContinue reading “Morning Moon”
Just Passing Through
Yesterday morning the Moon passed by Jupiter on its monthly trek around earth. This scene will repeat itself over the next several months as we head into fall and on towards winter. Before long, Venus will rise in the morning sky as well and provide the opportunity to see the three brightest planetary objects inContinue reading “Just Passing Through”
Heading South
Clouds and hot temperatures persuaded me not to get out the telescope and observe the Moon and planets last night. Somewhere in the western sky Mercury, Venus, and Mars lurked in the evening glow, shrouded by clouds. The Moon’s path is now angling toward the south, tracing the route that the Sun will shortly followContinue reading “Heading South”
Over the Moon
No cat, fiddle, or cow was involved, only an airliner soaring sedately over the Moon, leaving a thin contrail behind. Below, cloudy fingers appeared to cast cottony whips across the lower part of the photo to finish framing the scene. #moon #airliner #contrail #catandfiddle #cow
Twilight’s Last Gleaming
On the day before the summer solstice, storm clouds parted briefly to reveal a glimpse of the thin crescent moon and Venus hovering over the western horizon. Though rain drenched that day as well as the night the followed, this brief respite certainly brightened the spirits. #moon #venus #twilight
Not All Who Wander…
Yesterday, June 14, 2023, the Moon and Jupiter appeared close together in the morning sky. Each wanders through the sky relative to the starry background, but they are not the only ones that wander. Planets, including Jupiter, move from constellation to constellation along a narrow corridor called the zodiac, as does the Moon. Per Wikipedia:Continue reading “Not All Who Wander…”
Grinning Again
As promised last week (“Vertical Moon” at: https://eskildoodle.com/2023/04/16/vertical-moon/ ), the evening crescent Moon is grinning once again. Just a week ago it appeared nearly vertical as it approached the Sun in the morning sky, but now it appears to lay nearly horizontal like the Cheshire Cat’s grin. The astronomical explanation for this is related toContinue reading “Grinning Again”
Vertical Moon
Sometimes the crescent Moon resembles a wide Cheshire grin, nearly horizontal to the horizon, while other times, like the one in the photo, it appears almost vertical, like a partial parenthesis, due to the inclination of the Moon’s orbit. This week it will continue with its vertical appearance as it heads towards the rising sunContinue reading “Vertical Moon”