Anyone observing the conjunction?

[JOC]

Even down here in Essex 100% cloud cover predicted all night, but then why should it break the habit of the last month!  I'd just like it to clear enough to go and see something in the night sky!

I bet I'd have had enough equipment here to have seen Neptune too

[Stub Mandrel]

I have a clear forecast for an hour after Venus sets :-(

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Interesting conjunction but looks dreadful here weather-wise

[Nova2000]

I'm observing it right now. 19:20IST

both in view. 40mm eyepiece skywatcher 150/1200

Venus on top Neptune in center. 

[Victor Boesen]

28 minutes ago, Nova2000 said:

I'm observing it right now. 19:20IST

both in view. 40mm eyepiece skywatcher 150/1200

Venus on top Neptune in center. 

Nice!! Still crystal clear here, but i still need to wait at least 3 hours.

[Nova2000]

OK I've ended my session, it was really good. Some visitors couldn't see it tho. Visibility reduced due to fog and moon glare. 

Good luck and clear skies to you'll!. 

Please report your sightings

 

[Mark at Beaufort]

The weather in Hereford is showing clear spells from 9pm. Unfortunately Venus and Neptune would have set by then. Anyway I will set up the Orion VX8 and I hope I get a break in the cloud before the Planets set.

[Aikidoamigo]

4 hours ago, Knighty2112 said:

At 1,125mm focul length with your 150mm Skywatcher reflector and using a stock 10mm 50 degree APOV plossl you should still get both planets in the same EP view as below. If your EP gives a wider AFOV then they will fit in even more in your EP view. 

If that's as close as they get I really wonder 'what's the big deal'... Perhaps someone could explain the point I'm missing. Don't want to sound ungrateful etc. ;-)

[Moonshane]

It's the fact that you can see two planets in the same eyepiece field one of which is usually quite hard to track down.

[Nova2000]

9 minutes ago, Aikidoamigo said:

If that's as close as they get I really wonder 'what's the big deal'... Perhaps someone could explain the point I'm missing. Don't want to sound ungrateful etc. ;-)

Has Neptune been in conjunction with anyone else lately? The event is rare tho. It's also the first time I saw Neptune. 

[Moonshane]

Yes, Mars 

[Aikidoamigo]

Just set up and waiting now; patchy cloud and seems like more rolling in here in Valencia. I could be out of luck ;-(

[John]

31 minutes ago, Aikidoamigo said:

If that's as close as they get I really wonder 'what's the big deal'... Perhaps someone could explain the point I'm missing. Don't want to sound ungrateful etc. ;-)

The circle that surrounds the 2 planets in that view is only a little larger than the diameter of the full Moon. It's a pretty small patch of sky.

With many of the "sights" that we get excited about it's as much about understanding a little about what we are observing as the impact of the visuals alone. A tiny pinpick of light takes on a whole new fascination and significance once you know that it's sunlight glinting off a tiny ice and rock moon orbiting the most distant gas giant for example.

Nothing patchy about the cloud here at the moment - it's thick and rain is coming from it !

 

[Peter Drew]

6 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

A tough sight to photograph. Venus mag -4.06, Neptune mag 4.43 so venus is about 70,000 times as bright!

Neptune mag +4.33   ? 

[laudropb]

A miracle has occurred and theskies have clearedhereafteran afternoon of snow. Just stating up, so fingers crossed.

[Davey-T]

Blizzard here.

Dave

[furrysocks2]

Great view here, a first for me.

[JOC]

Blizzard here too - Just South of Maldon, Essex.  Currently heaving it down. 

How close do the planets need to be before it is called a 'conjunction'?  I always assumed that they needed to appear to overlap.

[furrysocks2]

10 minutes ago, JOC said:

Blizzard here too - Just South of Maldon, Essex.  Currently heaving it down. 

How close do the planets need to be before it is called a 'conjunction'?  I always assumed that they needed to appear to overlap.

Closest angular approach I believe - because they lie on different planes they won't overlap, but Venus is approaching from the west and will pass to the east tomorrow night. The actual conjunction I think is 1am tonight or thereabouts.

That's my understanding.

[bejay1957]

Weather radar suggests that the cloud and rain/sleet may be cleared thru here in around an hour - got the 20x80 binocs on the tripod ready, just in case...

[John]

Still thickish clouds here but Venus looks rather lovely shining boldly though the "cloud filter". I may have had the odd glimpse of Neptune but getting a mag 7 object through that lot of murk is a challenge to say the least

Worth the effort for the Venus views anyway

Rather squelchy lawn though - I'm going to have to give the tripod tips a really good clean later !

[John]

Yay !, the clouds thinned slightly and there was Neptune

With Venus and an 8th mag star they form a sort of scalene triangle with Neptune at one end of the longest side and Venus at the other end. They all fit in the FoV with the 6mm Ethos at 150x as predicted. Neptune shows a really tiny disk but un-star like and distinctly pale blue.

Venus is showing contrast variations across the cloud tops and the "cloud filter" (Earth clouds) has removed much of the atmospheric diffraction.

I'm glad I made the effort

[John]

This is how Cartes du Ciel shows it - about the same view that I've had and the same orientation:

 

[Aikidoamigo]

Lucky you lot!  ;-(

clouds got gradually worse here and I even lost the Venus views I had... Packed up now so no doubt will clear!!

skies were lovely earlier though...

 

[Mark at Beaufort]

Very clear in Hereford so I have been observing Venus and Neptune with the Orion VX8 with 8-24 TeleVue zoom and a Baader 2.25X barlow. Best view at 168X. Venus is a lovely Crescent (0.51) and Neptune a small blue disc.