Continue reading “Thin Crescent with McGraw Tower, Venus and Star”
Thin Crescent with McGraw Tower, Venus and Star
Here I revel in the spectacle of an early morning rising of the cresent moon.
Tag: Mars
Thin Crescent Bowl filled with Earthglow
Here I explore the concepts of “earthglow” and occultation.
Venus at dawn
Planet Thoughts
Since 1500 B.C. until today…..
The planet we call Venus has ancient associations with fertility goddesses. The link has persisted at least from the 1600 century B.C. inscribed on Sumerian cuneiform tablets. Three thousand years later the Italian artist Botticelli created in tempura paint on canvas the image of Venus rising from the sea, as the planet Venus does today.
Venus Rising
Here is Venus rising from the sea at dawn January 2022, at its brightest and most beautiful. Some mistake this new light in the east for airplane lights; the bright disk of Venus is 25 times brighter than Sirius, enough to cast shadows at night. As Venus proceeds in its orbit, the planet alternately sets after the sun and rises before it, seemingly appearing new each time.
This February I caught a newly risen Venus in this IPhone 7 video, reflected in the waves. It seemed to be a flashing headlight on the beach, the Venus reflection came and went with the passing waves. Venus is the upper, the reflection is beneath. Use the lower right control for the full view.
Looking from his window June 1889, Vincent VanGogh included Venus in his “Starry Night” painting, seen to the right of the Cypress tree.
Here is a closer view of Venus last January, the planet disk is apparent, unlike even the closest stars, Venus is seen as a whole object. Click on image for a full view.
Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars shared 2022’s pre-dawn winter sky. Click on the first image for a full-size view. Mars is seen above the palm tree stump, on the right. In this photograph, from early February, Venus and Mar apparently moved closer. The closeness is an illusion, the planets are millions of miles apart, on either side of Earth’s orbit. Click on the photograph for a full-size view, Mars can just be made out to the right and above Venus.
This crop clearly shows the brightness of Venus compared to Mars.
Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Thin Crescent with McGraw Tower, Venus and Star
pre-dawn sky event
Here are two photographs taken about the same time, 6:30 am, October 18, 2017, companions to the photograph shared earlier this week.
The moon rises later each day, so these shots include a larger disk closer to Cornell University. Both components, the crescent and earth-glow, were dimmer this morning. In each photograph Jenny McGraw Tower is visible.
Here the tower is slightly to the right of the crescent, the arch of Schoellkopf stadium further right. Among the trees on left, is the baleful red glow of Bradford Hall.
Click for another view of McGraw Tower from my Online gallery.
The tower is outlined by the lights of Uris library, presumably filled with early rising students.
The light of Regulus (“small king”), below and to the right, is a composite of four stars moving together through space. The position of Regulus on the path in the sky of the moon, planets and asteroids (called the ecliptic) leads to the occultation of the star by the disks of the moon and, less regularly, the planets and asteroids.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Thin Crescent Bowl filled with Earthglow
pre-dawn sky event
A thin crescent bowl filled with earthglow floating above the dawn attended by Venus, Mars, Virgo.
This was the view from Ithaca, New York at the start of dawn this morning of Tuesday, October 17, 2017. Mars is next to the moon, the stars of the constellation Virgo scattered around, Venus is the bright object below. We had a bright, clear sky not unusual for September and October.
Want more? Click the link for my Online Gallery
In the city, an arch of Schoellkopf Stadium on the Cornell University campus. Cornell is on east hill. We live on west hill, across the valley. It is quiet on west hill, away from the students.
Earlier this week the crescent was in the constellation Leo where the bright limb occulted the bright star Regulus, to reappeared from behind the dark limb, a brilliant spectacle that happened after dawn for New York. It was cloudy, as usual, on October 14.
When I woke, the moon was shining through the trees, still full of just turning leaves. The crescent turned, cup like, above the horizon, to cradle the dark orb glowing from the reflected light of our earth. I did not recognize Mars, the disk was less red than usual. Research revealed the moon had two planets in seeming attendance. I also learned that, when the horns point right the moon is waning, moving toward a new, or un-illuminated, moon. When the phase moved from new it is also a crescent with horns pointing left.
This morning was a fortunate gift, I had never contemplated the moon in quite this form before.
Copyright 2021 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
International Space Station
pre-dawn sky event
December 23rd, sky clear at 6:30 am, the International Space Station (ISS) passed through the zenith with a waning crescent, a bowl filled with earthglow, in the southeast. On December 22nd I received the following email from NASA advising me of the event.
HQ-spotthestation@mail.nasa.gov
Sun 12/22/2019 7:00 PM
Time: Mon Dec 23 6:30 AM, Visible: 6 min, Max Height: 87°, Appears: 10° above SW, Disappears: 11° above ENE
Visit the NASA site to research if ISS viewing is possible from your location.
Here is another photograph of the crescent moon filled with earthglow.
Click photograph for the expanded view. To do this from WordPress Reader, you need to first click the title of this post to open a new page.
Cresent, McGraw Tower, Regulus
Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Earthglow
pre-dawn sky event
December 23rd, sky clear at 6:30 am, the International Space Station passed through the zenith with a waning crescent, a bowl filled with earthglow, in the southeast. Here is a photograph of a waning moon above Cornell University from October 2017.
Michael Stephen Wills Photography 
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