Beautiful night under the moon and Jupiter
Just back from dinner in Fells Point, where my wife and I ran into Baltimore's Street-Corner Astronomer, Herman Heyn.
Herman had Jupiter in his sights this evening, along with all four Galilean moons, strung out like beads on either side of the planet's disk. (Photo left)
Even with the naked eye, passersby could see the planet rising above the Recreation Pier, the brightest object in the sky, except for a VERY bright three-quarter moon.
Too many people walk by Herman, a familiar figure on the Baltimore waterfront for decades. Herman has introduced thousands people to the night sky, amazing kids and grownups - on the square in Fells Point, or at Harborplace - with what is often their first look at a planet, directly, with their own eyes.
Whether it is striped Jupiter with its moons, ringed Saturn or a crescent Venus, those who stop for a minute and look are invariably impressed, often wowed.
Herman asks no more than a word of thanks (though donations are welcome). Next time you see him and
his telescope, stop and say hello, and ask him what's up in the sky tonight. You won't be disappointed.
Anyway, after getting a long look at Jupiter and the moon through Herman's eyepiece, I went home and hauled my little telescope onto the front sidewalk.
The sky was clear and dry, around 65 degrees, a perfect evening for hanging out under the stars. I grabbed my little point-and-shoot Canon, stuck the lens into the eyepiece of my telescope, snapped the shutter and hoped for the best.
Here's how they turned out. Not bad for an backyard astronomy hack like me.
(SUN PHOTOS: Frank Roylance, Meade ETX-90, Canon Powershot SD1100 IS)
Comments
Your shot of Jupiter is great. However, I saw with my eye all four of the Galilean moons. In your photo (at this resolution), there are three. I think you have Io (alone on rt side), then, on left side Europa (missing), Ganymede and Callisto. Nice report! I've just heard that Uranus is above Jupiter (3x the length betw Jupiter and Callisto). Perhaps one of your photos got this planet?
FR: I can see all four Galileam moons on the image. And yes, Uranus is very close. Herman was unable to pick it out when I was with him. Jupiter was still quite low in the sky, and the light pollution downtown is pretty formidible. But I believe I spotted it later with my 'scope, in Cockeysville, But it is not visible in my image. My photo setup is pretty crude - point-and-shoot camera, hand-held to the eyepiece. Maybe I'll get a real CCD camera for the telescope for Christmas.
Posted by: John Sowa | September 18, 2010 11:51 PM
Yes I'm 29 and have been looking at Jupiter all night with binoculars, I am in Awww! If Jupiter will still be there tomorrow night I need a telescope.
FR: Whenever skies are clear, Jupiter will be big and bright in the evening for weeks to come. But this week is the best time to look.
Posted by: Anthony | September 19, 2010 1:13 AM
Wonderful pictures!! Wish I had seen it.
Posted by: Michelle Brown | September 19, 2010 7:59 AM
My bad, you are correct, your picture shows all four moons. Great shot - you have a very steady hand. However, I think Santa has some plans for you!
Tonight the view is so good that I can see the equatorial band on Jupiter. This is impressive since I am 15 miles west of NYC and Jupiter is sitting practically on top of Manhattan.
FR: It helps to have Jupiter so close. I was able to see the stripe in the eyepiece, but the photo image is overexposed, and washed it out.
Posted by: John Sowa | September 19, 2010 11:09 PM
Just think how much trouble Galileo went to when he was looking at Jupiter all those years ago, and you were able to very easily see Jupiter and the moons and our Moon and take wonderful pictures and post them on your blog! We really live in amazing times. Thanks for the pics, they turned out great.
FR: Thanks!
Posted by: RainOrShine | September 20, 2010 12:23 PM
I wonder if this still visible or not? what direction in the sky?
FR: Yes. Jupiter will be very prominent in the eastern sky every evening this month. Look east after dark. It is the brightest object in the sky, except for the moon. You can't miss it. (It's very beautiful tonight -Monday.)
Posted by: ben | September 20, 2010 8:23 PM