Doug's backyard observatory

On the nights that I find I can't sleep,

I'll arise and most silently creep, 

To the deck you see here,

And joyfully peer, 

Into God's incomprehensible deep. 

Yes, this is where it all happens!  In the photo above, the deck is wet from some earlier misting, but the skies have cleared out. I couldn't sleep so I got up.  It's almost midnight, last week in September, 2020.

For the past couple of weeks, Jupiter and Saturn have moved across the sky together and the moon has lately been rushing past them. Tonight, I discovered that they are about as close together in the sky above me as I've seen. 

Conditions aren't perfect. I think there may still be too much moisture in the air. As I began to sight in my camera on the moon, I noticed it's having trouble focusing. I keep at it though and manage to get some shots that will at least give you a look at what I am seeing tonight.  

That's Jupiter just below the moon. Saturn is harder to see but I am pleased that it was just bright enough to show up in the photo.  

A closer look at the moon and Jupiter. Focus issues going on during this time. 



It got a little better later.  Now, let's zoom in closer on the moon. First, the bottom portion, 

and then the top.  

And a little closer still. This is at 120 power.  

Next, I turned my attentions toward Jupiter, but my camera just couldn't settle on a focus for it. 

But hold on; I remembered something...

Just recently, I've been noticing that Mars has been in view as well.  Tonight, while the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn were directly above me, Mars was located at about 45 degrees above the eastern horizon. I wondered if, given the trouble I was having with Jupiter, I'd be able to get any sort of picture of Mars.  Well, I managed to get one good shot of it.  

I'm especially pleased to see that my picture is not just a reddish ball, but actually shows a hint of contrast across the face of the planet. 

The next two pictures were taken on the night of Oct. 3, 2020.  I could actually see a light haze in the sky as I took these so it's little wonder I couldn't get good detail, especially on the higher powers. Still, I like them because here, the moon is near Mars.  

This is about as high a zoom as I can use without losing focus altogether.  What I like in this one is that Mars is no long a pin prick in the sky, it has become a small dot.  I notice the redness doesn't show much in these.  

BTW, Jeanne told me that Mars will be at its closest to us on October 13, 2020. It'll be two years before we're that close again.  

I very much enjoyed my private planetarium this evening. Not surprisingly, after seeing all these wonders, when I went back to bed, I had no problem at all in falling off to sleep. Of course, the tipple of Templeton Straight Rye I sipped in my chair on the deck after taking my last picture might have had something to do with that as well.  

Take a look up if your own skies are clear tonight. You never know what you might see.  And take your camera with you. You might be surprised at the results you get if you click.  

(viewing beverage is optional)          -djf