Heidelberg,  Landscape,  World at night

Earthlight, Jupiter and Saturn

The sun is setting in the west. The Moon moves east and setting in the west, too. If one compares the position of the Moon relative to the prominent planets Saturn and Jupiter, because they appear close to each other, it is no longer below the two, but to the east next to them.

Yesterday, crescent moon right below Saturn and Jupiter © Julian Köpke
Today, Moon east of Saturn and Jupiter © Julian Köpke

Temporarily there was much less haze today, so that the earthlight (in german: aschfahles Mondlicht) of the moon in the right hand image is very well visible. Yesterday you could only guess. With the spotting scope the crescent moon shows up well detailed.

Waxing crescent moon, 72h old © Julian Köpke

The spotting scope allows to photograph the two planets Saturn and Jupiter with a full frame camera in a single field of view at lowest magnification (x30, which is about 800mm focal length). The structure of the planets ist better outlined with short exposure times (see insets), the Galilean moons of Jupiter need a longer one.

Saturn and Jupiter, 4d before Great Conjunction © Julian Köpke

I like to make things visible the naked eye isn't able to see. That's part of my profession as a radiologist, too.

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