as it came closest to earth in 60ish years at the end of September and is now steadily moving away to the edge of the solar system
earth, on it's orbit, is overtaking jupiter on it's orbit
jupiter is directly on the other side of us from the sun
so during september
it rose at sunset
and set at sunrise
being overhead at midnight
-ish
jupiter is directly on the other side of us from the sun
so during september
it rose at sunset
and set at sunrise
being overhead at midnight
-ish
and i missed it
i did not see it through the telescope until just recently
when it was further away
and this was all i saw
but next year
it will come just as close as it did this year
AND i intend to be in a richer sitty with a bigger telescope.
:D
Jenny and i were playing pool
and noted either how light the pool balls were
or how frictionless the table
and speculated
mabye jupiter [which was overhead then, it being midnight]
's formidable gravity was pulling them up off the table
the only thing bigger than jupiter in the solar system
is the sun itself
but jenny did accompany me all over dunedin taking photos of jupiter with interesting foreground. [how do i know which is jupiter? it's easy to find; it's the bright one.]
you know the old question "are you are mountains person or a seaside person?" well, i am both. i am a mountain person and a seaside person AND A PLANET PERSON.
i love to stare at planets, especially through strong lenses, and meditate on where they are in space and where they are going and how that relates to me standing near the bottom of the earth sticking up from it like a frightened hair.
i love to stare at planets and picture the solar system in my head and relative distances and positions, and contemplate how they reflect the sun's light to me.
I did see Venus in Noctober; I said 'why should i look at Venus, isn't it just a white disc?' and The Old Astronomer said 'climb up and take a look'
and i nearly fell off the stepladder.
it was a crescent.
and i suddenly felt like it was three dimensional
shaded and round
and in between us and the sun
and real
it is really there
not just in books
mabye jupiter [which was overhead then, it being midnight]
's formidable gravity was pulling them up off the table
the only thing bigger than jupiter in the solar system
is the sun itself
but jenny did accompany me all over dunedin taking photos of jupiter with interesting foreground. [how do i know which is jupiter? it's easy to find; it's the bright one.]
you know the old question "are you are mountains person or a seaside person?" well, i am both. i am a mountain person and a seaside person AND A PLANET PERSON.
i love to stare at planets, especially through strong lenses, and meditate on where they are in space and where they are going and how that relates to me standing near the bottom of the earth sticking up from it like a frightened hair.
i love to stare at planets and picture the solar system in my head and relative distances and positions, and contemplate how they reflect the sun's light to me.
I did see Venus in Noctober; I said 'why should i look at Venus, isn't it just a white disc?' and The Old Astronomer said 'climb up and take a look'
and i nearly fell off the stepladder.
it was a crescent.
and i suddenly felt like it was three dimensional
shaded and round
and in between us and the sun
and real
it is really there
not just in books
since then
we have been finding it in broad daylight
an undeniable white point in a blue sky
(things seem more real in the daylight)
and i know for sure that i am standing on an earth that
we have been finding it in broad daylight
an undeniable white point in a blue sky
(things seem more real in the daylight)
and i know for sure that i am standing on an earth that
hangs
in
space and i cannot control it's movements
or any of the other Bodies Hanging In Space either
i hereby postulate that astronomy is one of the Tenets For Mental Health
like sunshine and exercise and sleep
that we need to be in touch with the planets' movements so that we know our place in the universe, and are in touch with their steady faithfulness of prescence and movement.
alsoor any of the other Bodies Hanging In Space either
i hereby postulate that astronomy is one of the Tenets For Mental Health
like sunshine and exercise and sleep
that we need to be in touch with the planets' movements so that we know our place in the universe, and are in touch with their steady faithfulness of prescence and movement.
it is very calming; there is no way you can be stressed about their speed. if it was there last night, it will be there for months. you can rely on them.
it is so good to know that there are things beyond my own control; i am not responsible for anything going wrong with the planets. i am not responsible for keeping them in line.
oh and i LOVE conjunctions. when i was up looking at venus, the Old Astronomer said with reverence that in a week or so there would be one night when the crescent moon and the crescent venus would be one above the other. i said in my heart 'whats the big deal'. but then one night i was driving home after work and nearly forgot my driverly duties entirely, as i was accosted by this dim cratered crescent and this beaming bright venus that was so nearly a disc, so nearly two whole dimensions.
i stopped and ran into the middle of the park i had happend to be passing and ran into the middle of the field
it is so good to know that there are things beyond my own control; i am not responsible for anything going wrong with the planets. i am not responsible for keeping them in line.
oh and i LOVE conjunctions. when i was up looking at venus, the Old Astronomer said with reverence that in a week or so there would be one night when the crescent moon and the crescent venus would be one above the other. i said in my heart 'whats the big deal'. but then one night i was driving home after work and nearly forgot my driverly duties entirely, as i was accosted by this dim cratered crescent and this beaming bright venus that was so nearly a disc, so nearly two whole dimensions.
i stopped and ran into the middle of the park i had happend to be passing and ran into the middle of the field
and snapped millions of pics of the same thing
through various apetures
through various apetures
conjunctions are beautiful.
this painting is also the moon and venus. can you picture that the moon is between us and venus, and the set sun is below the horizon and is lighting up the same fractions of the two Heavenly Bodies?
Jupiter is coming back at the end of next year. I shall be in the richer sitty, taking photos of it behind facades and architectures and sculptures and moutains, all of which will be anew to me.
this painting is also the moon and venus. can you picture that the moon is between us and venus, and the set sun is below the horizon and is lighting up the same fractions of the two Heavenly Bodies?Jupiter is coming back at the end of next year. I shall be in the richer sitty, taking photos of it behind facades and architectures and sculptures and moutains, all of which will be anew to me.
