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

[rodsky]

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On the evening of December 1, between 5:30 to 6:30pm (Monday), there will be a conjunction between the planets Venus and Jupiter. What makes this conjunction special is, just about 3 degrees below the two planets, is a thin crescent moon. The trio will therefore form a "smiley" over the western sky...

(screenshot I took of my Starry Night Pro software showing the western sky over Cebu City, on December 1, 2008.)


The prelude to the conjunction is already visible since last week--if you view the western sky everyday (provided wala ga ulan hehe), you notice two very bright "stars" moving closer and closer each day--these are not stars--this is Jupiter (less bright) and Venus (brighter one).

So, if you want to see this simple yet funny sight, just hope it doesn't rain! Take note, you don't NEED ANY INSTRUMENT-JUST YOUR TWO EYES! So there's no excuse for you not to look up and see it

I don't know if I will attempt to shoot the scene, as I don't have very good equipment, but a modest DSLR setup with a telephoto lens can capture this scene effortlessly (so heads up to aspiring astrophotographers out there!). I have a photos of Venus (solo, non-Conjunction) with the Crescent moon in my DeviantArt gallery, and that only used a simple point-and-shoot digicam.

ADDENDUM:

This is strictly to Narnia fans. In the book (not movie) "Prince Caspian", Dr. Cornelius was lecturing to Caspian about the conjunction between the planets Tarva and Alambil. Prince Caspian is woken by his tutor, Dr Cornelius, in the middle of the night and taken up a dark stairway to the top of a tower. There he sees the conjunction of two planets: "Tarva, the Lord of Victory, salutes Alambil, the Lady of Peace." According to Dr Cornelius, "Their meeting is fortunate and means some great good for the sad realm of Narnia."

Basically, I think C.S. Lewis himself witnessed a conjunction between two planets (possibly Venus and Mars), and thus got inspired by this and incorporated it into "Prince Caspian"

I am not a believer in astrology--I am an amateur astronomer--two different things. But, if it so happens you think that the meeting of Jupiter (Roman chief god) and Venus (Goddess of Love and Beauty) is significant, and a sign of something (good fortune or bad), that's entirely up to you.

-RODION

[tingkoy13]

kabasa sad ko ani sa usa ka site... try mo tanaw....

[rodsky]

kabasa sad ko ani sa usa ka site... try mo tanaw....

If the site nga imong gi-bisita US-based, they won't be seeing a smile--they will be seeing an upside-down FROWN hehehe. This is because the moon would have moved along its orbit by December 1, US-time (December 2 naman na sa ato-a).

-RODION

[makatasawi]

hey this is a cool one rod!

[diatabz]

Ehe, I just had to grab my Chronicles of Narnia book to check.

[rodsky]

More tips:

1. Look west. Don't know where west is? Wait for the sun to set and watch the skies over the setting sun...about 10-15 minutes after the sun sets, it's impossible for you not to see two bright objects above, and a little to the left of where the sun sank.

2. If you plan on viewing it, make sure there are no obstructions. I made some calculations and I realized if one was sitting on a bench inside the Fuente Circle, the spectacle will be obscured by the Vicente Sotto Hospital building (did this using Google Earth, Starry Night Pro and a calculator). So best bet is you watch the western sky from atop a high building that has the entire western sky unobstructed.

3. If you have a pair of 7x50 binoculars, all three objects will fit nicely into your view



Again, kontra ra ani will be cloudy or rainy skies.

-RODION

[splendid moonlight]

I see this one every night after going out of the office except that I don't see the moon. I tell everyone who will listen that it's Jupiter and Venus. It's a site to behold.

[zurita10]

Hope its not another "Asteriod Hit Earth in Nov. 19, 2008 EST", but since it's from Rodion - hope it won't be raining.

[rodsky]

^ lol

I just looked outside, right now...they're already there, slowly moving towards each other...mag-abot na sila sa December 1...closest distance is about 2 degrees from each other.

-RODION

[rodsky]

The duo was really bright ganina. I just hope tomorrow's sky is as clear as tonight's.

-RODION