A Wink and a Smile

Just as the charts predicted, Venus and the Moon seemed to almost touch yesterday morning, and appeared to wink and smile. However, the charts could not have predicted that a bat would photobomb the image; it seemed to just brush the top of the darker part of the Moon. I could have easily erased theContinue reading “A Wink and a Smile”

Twin Pairs

Before dawn yesterday, I stepped outside and discovered two prominent stars and two bright planets playing peek-a-boo with clouds in a deep, blue sky. The stars, Caster and Pollux, were aligned diagonally upper left of center of the photo, while Jupiter dominated the upper area of the photo and Venus, the lower. Though Castor andContinue reading “Twin Pairs”

Same Window, Different View

Eight days ago I awoke to find Venus and Jupiter peaking through my window (see: https://eskildoodle.com/2025/08/12/planetary-windopeakers/). This morning it was the Moon paired with Venus peeping through the oval window. Jupiter had moved higher in the sky as seen on the photo on the right, while the Moon had descended into the early twilight besideContinue reading “Same Window, Different View”

Planetary Windopeakers

“We didn’t have to go outside,” Fairy commented while pointing to a window in our loft. There the bright Jupiter and Venus peered, next to each other, through our window. We had just come back into our condo after dressing up for the cold, Colorado air to look at them outside. Still, it was worthContinue reading “Planetary Windopeakers”

Morning Rendezvous

Jupiter has recently burst onto the morning scene, gleaming by the trees, seemingly in pursuit of the lovely Venus at the top of the picture. Indeed, he will close the gap, and by August 12, 2025, they will form a tight pair in the morning twilight. Alas, their encounter will be brief, and Jupiter willContinue reading “Morning Rendezvous”

Captain Cook and His Telescopes

A life-sized figure of Captain Cook greeted us at the Reva Reva bungalow at Rohotu Fare in Bora Bora recently. We had brought along a spyglass telescope representative of Cook’s era that was then wrapped with thin rope made from local plant fibers to provide a comfortable grip. The antique telescope has excellent optics withContinue reading “Captain Cook and His Telescopes”

Mercurial Moment

The morning of April 25, 2025, the thin, crescent Moon lay within a triangle framed by Venus, Saturn, and Mercury, but I was nearly denied the opportunity to see this event. At first, clouds below the Moon hid Mercury from view. It was a race to see if the clouds would disappear before Mercury wasContinue reading “Mercurial Moment”