"A Smiley in the Sky" (Venus & Jupiter Conjunction plus Moon, Dec.1, 6:00pm Cebu)

[lestat1116]

kita ko ganina ani sa it park. klaro kaayo

[Motownkid]

post mo pics para kita pod mi.. wa na gyud koy pag-laom maka kita aning "smiley in the sky".. pila na pod kaha ni ka years mausab..

[rodsky]

There is a large thunderhead forming over in the western part of Cebu If the wind blows it northwards, there's still hope, but if it builds up and covers the western sky, then bye bye smiley.

-RODION

[splendid moonlight]

Yesterday night I saw all three: Venus, Jupiter and the crescent moon. Again, I told one of my officemates that the two bright 'stars' are Venus and Jupiter and he said "I don't believe you." He was in disbelief.

[Weena]

i saw Venus and Jupiter Thursday night and again two nights ago. I also saw the crescent moon last night which i thought was pretty. but i didn't see them all together forming a smiley though huhu. I hope the sky is clear tonight.

[rodsky]

i saw Venus and Jupiter Thursday night and again two nights ago. I also saw the crescent moon last night which i thought was pretty. but i didn't see them all together forming a smiley though huhu. I hope the sky is clear tonight.

Of course you didn't see them, together...that event will only happen on December 1, 2008 (this evening), and not on any other evening. Wla diay nako to naklaro in my earlier posts? What I said nga makit-an between November 26-November 30 is Venus and Jupiter slowing coming together, and tonight, they will be closest and they will be joined by the crescent moon.

I checked weather again, murag the western sky is clearing up...the southerly wind I was hoping for came and is blowing the thundercloud away. 70% chance now of the event being seen


UPDATE: ARrrrgh! Latest peek into satellite weather maps show an anvilhead (top part of Cumulonimbus thunderhead) spreading northwards from Bohol...sigh...I hope it doesn't reach Cebu's western skies.

-RODION

[Weena]

i thought someone said here that she saw all three of them. my bad. maybe she meant all three but not together.

[splendid moonlight]

I did see all three together. I've been seeing Venus and Jupiter for many nights straight but it was only last night that I also saw the moon and thus completing 'the smiley.' Maybe it has something to do with my location? I'm not in Phils.

[rodsky]

Both of you are correct.

Here is the progress of the conjunction since last wednesday...









(this is what Luthienne saw...just slightly different because of her location)


TONIGHT...


-RODION

[rodsky]

UPDATE: I prepared my camera, and did a test shot a few minutes ago, 4:47pm...



Hayag pa kaayo, so dili pa makit-an ang Venus ug ang Jupiter, but I encircled my estimated positions for both of them. My estimated time for Venus' brightening is about 5:20 PM, which is just around 30 minutes from now. Mas hayag man ang Venus, so mas una cya mogawas samtang ga-sink ang adlaw sa horizon...then taod-taod, ang Jupiter na dayon ang slowly mo-brighten samtang ga-darken na ang langit.

Ang akong worry, kay naay mga clouds towards the west ...I am hoping they will go away.

Another issue I have is focusing...I don't know how my camera will handle focusing at 12x zoom/magnification. I will just try to do a manual focusing if dili sharp ang viewfinder image while using autofocus.

-RODION