Dec. 2002 Planets Gallery

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Summary: Just before dawn on Sunday, Dec. 1st, the planets Venus and Mars converged with the slender crescent Moon. The trio fit within a circle just 1.5 degrees in diameter. Venus was dazzling, about 350 times brighter than nearby red Mars. Sky watchers also saw a ghostly glow across the crescent Moon's dark terrain. Astronomers call that "Earthshine." [sky map]

All images below are copyrighted by the photographers.
  Photographer, Location Images Comments

Miguel Olivares, New York City, NY, USA
Dec. 1
#1

M. Olivares: "the moon, Venus, Mars and a friend...."

Thad V'Soske, near the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in southern California
Dec. 1
#1, #2, more

Photo details: Provia 400 film and a zoom lens at 400mm.

Robert Smith, Stoneville, North Carolina
Dec. 1
#1, #2, more

Robert Smith captured the Moon, Venus, Mars, and an Iridium flare in this image. "The background photo was shot on Fuji 800," says Smith, "which overexposed the moon and planets. The inset (made with a digital camera) better shows the moon phase."

Heiko Rodde, near Zurich, Switzerland
Dec. 1
#1

Photo details: Canon PowerShot G2 - f 2.2 - Shutter speed: 8 sec., 100 ASA

Becky Ramotowski, San Antonio, Texas
Dec. 1
#1, #2 Becky had no trouble spotting bright Venus and the crescent Moon at dawn over San Antonio, Texas.

Gary Colwell, Lake Ontario, Toronto Canada
Dec. 1
#1, #2 Photo details: #1 Nikon Coolpix 995 12.6 mm zoom 8 sec. @ f 3.1; #2 55 mm Zoom 5 sec. @ f 5.1

Mike O'Leary, El Cajon, CA
Dec. 1
#1, #2 M. O'Leary: "In between some high clouds, I was able to get these lovely shots of the moon, Mars and Venus above the El Cajon Valley. I used a Canon D-60 set at ISO100, with a 24mm lens for 8sec @f/2.8. For the close-up, I used a 300mm lens for 1.5sec @f/5.6, with an ISO400."

Elizabeth Warner, Old Town Alexandria, VA
Dec. 1
#1, #2 E. Warner: "#1 is with a 28-135 zoom lens set at 135mm... 1sec approx ISO = 200. #2 was taken with the camera attached prime focus to my Orion Shorttube 80."

Ted Allen, Burnaby B.C. Canada (near Vancouver)
Dec. 1
#1 T. Allen: "At 7:55 a.m., Venus was visible through the tree with Mars in upper right."

Tom J. Martinez, Cleveland, Missouri
Dec. 1
#1, #2, #3 T. Martinez: "I was out with my Nikon Coolpix 995 for one hour in +19 F temperature, dogs barking and a skunk crossing right in front of me. But it was worth it."

Robert Malarz, Tempe, Arizona
Dec. 1
#1, #2, more R. Malarz took these pictures using a Sony DSC-F707 digital camera. The streak in #2 is an airplane.

Robert M. Sandy, Roanoke County, Virginia.
Dec. 1
#1, #2, more Bob Sandy: "The winds were howling, it was snowing, and I had to shoot through clouds. These photos were taken with an Olympus 2500 digital camera."

Les Marczi, Ontario, Canada
Dec. 1
#1 L. Marczi: "Venus is unbelievable...."

Dan Bush, Missouri, USA
Dec. 1
#1, #2, more D. Bush: "These were taken with a Nikon CoolPix 995. The closeup with Earthshine (#1) was brought out with an 8 second exposure through a TeleVue Pronto Telescope. The wider angle photo (#2) was taken with just the camera itself with a ~2 second exposure."

Ginger Mayfield, Divide, CO
Dec. 1
#1, #2 G. Mayfield: "I took this using a Canon D60 digital camera on a tripod. The view is looking east toward the west side of Pikes Peak."

 More images (click on the name of the photographer to view the image):
Dave Larison (Longmont, Colorado); Wes Higgins (Tecumseh Oklahoma); Matt Kellner (Seattle, WA); Jim Schuyler (Baltimore, Maryland); Geoff Chester (Alexandria, VA); F.R. Sprecco (Lakeside,CA)

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