Tuesday (18-February-2025) — New Jersey

Nine-Years Ago Today. Picture in a Picture. Candles at a Temple. Yangon, Myanmar (18-Feb-2016, Semester at Sea).

Vespera Telescopes Out on a Cold Winter Night.

It looked to be a clear night, so I had the Vespera telescopes out to view Venus, the Moon, and several deep sky objects (M31 Andromeda galaxy, M81 Bodes galaxy, IC 434 + NGC 2024 Horsehead nebula + Flame nebula, and NCC 2237 + NGC 2244 Rosette nebula/cluster). I had one camera out with a fisheye lens to capture images for a time-lapse video of the telescopes working the nighttime sky looking south. Also, a Little-planet Starlapse video of the telescopes working the night sky. I will be posting the images observed by the Vespera telescopes in the near future.

Time-lapse video of the nighttime sky looking south. Images taken with a Nikon Z9 camera and 8-15 mm fisheye lens. Best viewed full screen in a dark room.

Little-planet Starlapse video of the nighttime sky. Images taken with an Insta 360 RS 1-inch camera. Best viewed full screen in a dark room.

Jupiter and its four largest Moons.

I was able to get an image of Jupiter with its four largest moons (Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto) with the Vespera Classic telescope. I needed to activate the Expert Mode in the User Parameter settings. Then create a Manual Target — Add manual target by entering coordinates. Create an Object name (Jupiter), Select an Object Type (stars), Select the Pointing type (Direct), Set the Exposure time (1 sec), Select the Gain (1 dB), Enter the Right Ascension (h m s) and Declination (deg, m, s) for Jupiter which I looked up using the Stellarium app, Save and then Observe. I wish there was an Object type for planet, and the ability to select exposure times less than 1 second. The following image is cropped to get a larger view of Jupiter and the four moons.

Jupiter and the four moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Image taken with a Vespera Classic telescope (200 mm, f/4, 1 sec, gain 1 dB). Cropped image. Image available in my PhotoShelter Gallary.

Six-Years Ago (13-September-2012) — Belgium

Gone to see Europe. Semester at Sea. Fall 2012 Semester Voyage on the MV Explorer. Day 21: Antwerp, Belgium.

Early Dawn Jupiter and Waning Crescent Moon Over the Antwerp Cathedral from the Deck of the MV Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon D800 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 70 mm, f/5.6, 2 sec).

Early Dawn Jupiter and Waning Crescent Moon Over the Antwerp Cathedral from the Deck of the M/V Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 70 mm, f/5.6, 2 sec). (David J Mathre)
Early Dawn Jupiter and Waning Crescent Moon Over the Antwerp Cathedral from the Deck of the M/V Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 70 mm, f/5.6, 2 sec). (David J Mathre)

Four Years Ago (02-January-2012) — New Jersey

Backyard Winter Night Sky in New Jersey.

Moon with Jupiter in Conjunction. I could just barely get Jupiter in the frame using a 300 mm lens. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 100, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec).

Moon with Jupiter in Conjunction. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 100, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
Moon with Jupiter in Conjunction. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 100, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)

Three-Years Ago (13-September-2012) — Belgium

Gone to see Europe. Semester at Sea. Fall 2012 Semester Voyage on the MV Explorer. Day 21: Antwerp Zoo, Belgium.

Early Dawn Jupiter and Waning Crescent Moon Over the Antwerp Cathedral from the Deck of the M/V Explorer. Female Snowy Owl at the Antwerp Zoo. M/V Explorer Docked in Antwerp, Belgium. From Across the Scheldt River.

Early Dawn Jupiter and Waning Crescent Moon Over the Antwerp Cathedral from the Deck of the M/V Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 70 mm, f/5.6, 2 sec). (David J Mathre)
Early Dawn Jupiter and Waning Crescent Moon Over the Antwerp Cathedral from the Deck of the M/V Explorer. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 100, 70 mm, f/5.6, 2 sec). (David J Mathre)

Female Snowy Owl at the Antwerp Zoo. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). Additional Processing with Capture One Pro 6 and Photoshop CS6. (David J Mathre)
Female Snowy Owl at the Antwerp Zoo. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/200 sec). Additional Processing with Capture One Pro 6 and Photoshop CS6. (David J Mathre)

M/V Explorer Docked in Antwerp, Belgium. From Across the Schelde River. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 50 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 50 mm, f/11, 4 sec). Semester at Sea Fall 2012 Semester. (David J Mathre)
M/V Explorer Docked in Antwerp, Belgium. From Across the Scheldt River. Image taken with a Nikon D800 and 50 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 100, 50 mm, f/11, 4 sec). (David J Mathre)

Monday (02-January-2012) — New Jersey

Backyard Winter Night Sky over New Jersey: Moon in Conjunction with Jupiter.

Jupiter is in Conjunction with the Moon Tonight. If you get a chance, go out and look. (http://www.spaceweather.com/). Jupiter is the small dot in the bottom right, about 4° from the moon. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 300 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 100, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec).

Moon with Jupiter in Conjunction. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 100, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)
Moon with Jupiter in Conjunction. Image taken with a Nikon D3x and 300 mm f/2.8 VR lens (ISO 100, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec). (David J Mathre)