On the morning of August 18th, two of the brightest planets in our night sky came together in a brilliant conjunction.
Timing the exact rise of planets can be a challenge in mountainous areas. So I woke up early, went upstairs to the terrace and sleepily gazed at the stars.
As everybody knows, when you are waiting for something, it is the moment you divert your eyes it will happen.
When I returned my gaze from west to east, I was momentarily confused – it seemed as if the hills had exploded in a ball of fire.
Jupiter and Venus were ascending.
Caught between panic and excitement, I grabbed my camera and struggled for stability against the strong winds. However, much to my frustration, none of the shots could bring justice to those few moments of beauty.
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These two worlds would slowly separate. But the Moon would slowly come into view, joining Venus and Jupiter and creating a cosmic triangle.
August 22, 23, and 24th I woke before sunrise and vowed to chase these majestic planets.
August 22nd: The Moon at a waning crescent at 9% visibility with Earthshine. Jupiter and Venus are lingering behind.
August 23rd: Moon visibility at 4%. This is the cosmic triangle at its brightest.
August 24th: The cosmic triangle disperses. The rising Moon at 1% visibility and rapidly vanishing – the sun was not far behind.
Cosmic Triangle - the most beautiful conjunction. On the morning of August 18th, two of the brightest planets in our night sky came together in a brilliant conjunction.
