Venus Mercury Conjunction January 9, 2015

The two inner planets, Venus and Mercury, put on a dance that lasted several days in the evening sky. I was able to photograph them in a close conjunction just before they disappeared behind the roofline of my neighbor's house.

Venus and Mercury just above the roofline - composite image

I tried something a little different this time, and used two different exposures to create a composite image that shows a more true-to-life view of what they scene looked like. The foreground shot of the house is at ISO 800, 75mm, f/11, 1 sec. The background sky is the same settings with shorter exposure time of 1/20 sec. 

I combined them using Photoshop and the refine edge feature in the Selection tool. I noticed that you can preview the edge on top of a background layer to see if the blending looks natural and if the edge of the selection is too sharp or too feathery. The photo on the left is the foreground shot, and then I remove the sky to reveal the layer behind it which is the longer exposure for the sky. 

Refine edge tool in Photoshop to blend the two exposures

I think it turned out pretty good! It looks natural, which is what I was going for. I don't like to over-process my photos but this one I think is a mild alteration. 

Venus and Mercury, Single frame, Canon T5i, ISO 800, 300mm, f/11, 1/25 sec

Here is the kind of shot I normally take, a close up of the conjunction at 300mm with the roofline visible. I used a higher f-stop number to keep the roof line in focus as much as I could - it also cleans up the shape of the planets keeping them round.

I took these photos out my kitchen sliding door. I don't recommend it usually, because heat from inside escaping outside will cause atmospheric distortion in front of your target. However, it was cold and I was lazy, and this was a good quick setup for me.

 

Conjunction: Saturn, Moon, Mercury on December 1, 2013

I have been planning to photograph this conjunction since November 2, and since the close conjunction of Saturn and Mercury was clouded out, I was super excited to have a clear morning to see the moon join the pair. I took a lot of photos to make sure I had something that would turn out, and I played a bit with depth of field looking at the moon through trees.

It was awesome seeing the thin 3% illuminated waning crescent moon, and I can't wait to see the waxing crescent out my balcony window in the evening in a few nights. Not too cold this morning either, here are my best shots with details...

1.3 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400, 130mm 12/1/2013 – 6:53 AM

2.5 sec, f/9, ISO 400, 75mm 12/1/2013 – 6:57 AM

1.3 sec, f/11, ISO 400, 300mm 12/1/2013 – 7:05 AM

5 sec, f/11, ISO 1600, 300mm 12/1/2013 – 6:42 AM (position of tower tweaked in Photoshop)

2 sec, f/9, ISO 800, 180mm 12/1/2013 – 6:49 AM

Saturn Mercury Close Conjunction in November (Less than 1° Apart)

In late November, Saturn and Mercury will make a very close conjunction, coming within 1 degree of each other from our perspective. The pair will be low in the SE sky an hour before sunrise.

November 23, 2013 Mercury is about 6° above the horizon to the SE about an hour before sunrise. Screenshot from Stellarium.

Comet ISON (C/2012 S1) is predicted to pass Spica on November 18 as it dives toward the horizon, passing the Mercury Saturn conjunction around November 22-23.

November 25, 2013 Mercury and Saturn will be within 1 degree separation low in the SE to the left of the double star Alpha Librae (α Lib). Mercury will only be about 5 degrees above the horizon an hour before sunrise. Screenshot from Stellarium.

November 26, 2013 Mercury and Saturn switch places, with Saturn now on top and still within 1 degree separation. Saturn will only be about 5 degrees above the horizon an hour before sunrise. Screenshot from Stellarium.

Saturn joins the party on December 1, 2013 - this screenshot from Stellarium shows 7:00am ET from Indiana

Solar System Showcase: My Collection So Far

In the past year and a half, I've photographed every planet in the solar system and then some. I've always wanted to put them all together and see my collection all at once - so here it is! Hopefully as I learn to take photos with my scope, I will be able to improve upon this collection. But for now, this is what I've got.

Click to enlarge

Updated 10-8-13 Click to enlarge

Conjunction of Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury on July 28, 2013

I went outside to check to see if the conjunction was visible, and I was able to spot all 3 planets rising above the apartment complex. I went back inside to get my camera, and when I came out the light was a little less optimal (too bright), but I was able to capture all 3 planets in the frame. I adjusted the contrast a bit in Photoshop to compensate for the brighter sky.

Morning conjunction 30 min before sunrise

Venus-Mercury and Moon-Spica Conjunctions on the same night!

Dim Mercury was moving ever closer to brighter Venus just after sunset. I was able to get these photos of the pair low over the horizon.

170mm, 1.3 sec, f/5.0, ISO 400

The moon was also very close to Spica, but a blob of clouds was rolling over the area. I actually like it with the look of smoke surrounding a glowing moon and a little beacon off to the right. I have enough photos of the moon-next-to-things, so a few clouds for variety really ain't bad!

200mm, 1/5 sec, f/5.0, ISO 800

Conjunction of Mars and Mercury, February 8, 2013

Conjunction of Mercury (top) and Mars

I've been planning ahead for this conjunction of Mars and Mercury for a few days now, and I'm super excited that the clouds dispersed just in time for me to stop the pair hovering over a radio tower. I think this is my first time observing the planet Mercury, which is an added bonus!

The conjunction just after sunset in Bowling Green, Ohio

Mercury is the brighter of the two (magnitude -0.89) and slightly above Mars (magnitude 1.38). Mercury was visible when the sky was still very blue/yellow, and Mars wasn't visible with the naked eye until the sky became a little more rusty red. 

The clouds and radio tower add a dramatic setting

It's been cloudy all day, but the tail end of winter storm Nemo began to clear up just as the sun was setting. I grabbed my tripod and camera and began to scan the skies looking for a dot of light to poke through the clouds. I found the pair hovering above a radio tower and took as many photos as I could before they got too low in the sky. Not a big window of opportunity, but it looks like luck was on my side. The dispersing clouds and towers in the foreground add a dramatic industrial feel to the setting.

Look for Moon, Mercury, Mars conjunction on February 11, 2013

Moon, Mercury, Mars conjunction just after sunset (Image: Stellarium)

A very thin (3.4% illuminated) crescent moon joins Mercury and Mars just after sunset on the evening of February 11, 2013. If the weather cooperates, make sure you have a clear view to the West as close to the horizon as possible. At sunset (6:02pm in Toledo), the moon will only be 20º above the horizon, and only about 14º altitude when the pair of planets becomes visible.

Mercury and Mars will actually be much closer together (< 1º apart) on the evening of February 8, 2013, but will not be joined by the moon. On this night, Mercury will also be a brighter -0.89 magnitude compared to -0.72 on February 11.

Mercury and Mars <1º apart after sunset (Image: Stellarium)

If the sky cooperates, I'm planning to set up a camera at the Slippery Elm Trail in Bowling Green. The open fields should give me clear views to the West, and the trail is open an hour after sunset (that's all I'll need).

Slippery Elm Trail from this past summer