Thursday, October 8, 2015

Predawn Planets

This week the sky has been magnificent every morning before dawn! I've been walking on my deck and watching the sky from early enough for a deep, dark star-besprent sky until the sun is well up and the day is bright. The planets Venus, Mars, and Jupiter have been putting on a brilliant show, and I've been watching to see the exact time they each fade from view as the bright light of the sun spreads across the sky. I've written about those times in the notes that follow, but today I did not note the time that Venus faded from view as the sun rose. That's because Venus was so bright today that she was even visible at 10:00 this morning, with the sun high and bright! I had not realized before that Venus is bright enough to be seen even in strong daylight under the right conditions.

(If you click on the images, you'll be able to see them large enough to read my notes.)
Moon, Venus, Jupiter sketch

Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter sketch

The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
                                            Psalm 19:1-2

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