3towers Observatory - Moon & Planets

3towers Observatory Moon & Planets

Moon Halo and Venus. 8mm f/3.5 lens, 10-second exposure with Nikon D100 digital camera, ISO 1000.

Young Moon (17 hours 58 minutes), 5-inch f/5 reflector, Nikon D100 camera, ISO 800. The dove was observed sitting on a distant telephone wire before the Sun set.

The Earth's Shadow and the Belt of Venus above it on the morning of December 30, 2007.

The Earth's Shadow, the Moon, and the Belt of Venus on September 27, 2007.

Partial Eclipse of the Moon June 26, 2010. The Moon is setting in the Earth's Shadow with the Belt of Venus above the shadow. 135 mm f/22 image with Nikon D100 camera, 1/1600 second exposure, ISO 800.

Animated image of Lunar Eclipse of 28 August 2007. Series of images taken from the beginning Penumbra till the ending of Totality (by that time, the Moon was very low in the sky). Nikon D100 digital camera combined with 4-inch (100 mm) 1000 mm focal length f/10 lens. ISO 800.

Lunar Eclipse Montage from the 27 October 2004 Total Eclipse of the Moon. Taken at Tucson, Arizona, with a Nikon D100 digital camera and a 1000 mm f/10 lens. Exposures ranged from 1/250 second to six seconds. ISO 800.

The Planets January 28, 1984

The Phases of the Moon

The phases of the Moon from day 1 through day 27.

Images taken at the 3towers Observatory, Spring 2005. Meade LPI camera attached to a Celestron 2.4-inch f/10 telescope.

The phases of the Moon are individually shown from day 1 through day 27. The Moon is oriented as viewed with the naked eye from the mid-Northern Hemisphere. The near Full Moon images (days 14-15) are labeled for Lunar East and West, which are opposite terrestrial East and West.

The young Moon (days 1-3) is visible as a thin crescent in the western sky after sunset. The first quarter Moon (day 7) rises at approximately noon and sets at midnight local time. It is nearly overhead at sunset. The full Moon (day 14) rises in the East at sunset and sets in the West at sunrise. The last quarter Moon rises at midnight in the East and sets at about noon local time in the West. The old Moon (days 24-27) is visible as a thin crescent in the eastern sky just before sunrise. A complete lunar cycle from new Moon to new Moon is 29.5 days, a lunar month.

Most Lunar and planetary images are taken at the 3towers Observatory using either a Nikon D100 digital camera or a ToUCam web cam attached to the 3towers Meade 12-inch LX 200 telescope. Images are obtained at prime focus or with eyepiece projection. The seeing conditions at the 3towers Observatory are usually mediocre at best so that its lunar and planetary imaging does not compare with the incredible results now being obtained by many amateur astronomers worldwide. Nevertheless, the significant improvement in planetary and lunar results available from modern web cams, digital cameras, and software techniques allows almost anyone with modest equipment and seeing conditions to obtain results that rival or exceed those of the best planetary images obtained on film in the recent past.

Rainbow at the 3towers Observatory. Nikon D100 digital camera with 8 mm f/22 lens.
Moon near first quarter. This image was taken with a Nikon D100 camera placed at the prime focus of the 3towers Observatory 12-inch Meade LX 200 telescope.
Christmas Self-portrait. Wide angle view of the setting Sun and the rising Full Moon 180 degrees apart. One-quarter second exposure with 8 mm f/4 lens on Nikon D100 digital camera with ISO 400. Taken at sunset on December 25, 2004.
Mars 12 September 2003 ToUCam @ f/20, 100 images	Mars 29 August 2003 ToUCam @ f/10, 100 images
Mars 22 October 2005 ToUCam @ f/20, 200 images	Mars 11 November 2005 ToUCam @ f/20, 200 images
Lumenera SKYnyx 2-1 image of Castor 31 March 2007	Lumenera SKYnyx 2-1 image of Venus 31 March 2007
Lumenera SKYnyx 2-1 image of Saturn 31 March 2007	Lumenera SKYnyx 2-1 image of Saturn 31 March 2007
Wide angle view of the Moon and Mars on September 8, 2003
15 January 2005. Scorpius rising. Notice Mars just East of Antares and bright Delta Scorpii in the predawn sky. Ten second exposure with 16 mm f/2.8 lens on a Nikon D100 digital camera with ISO 800.
25 June 2005. Mercury, Venus, and Saturn in the Western sky after sunset. Nikon D100 image, ISO 800. 50 mm f/2.8 lens.
25 June 2005. Mercury, Venus, and Saturn in the Western sky after sunset. Nikon D100 image, ISO 800. 135 mm f/2.8 lens.
26 June 2005. Mercury, Venus, and Saturn in the Western sky after sunset. Nikon D100 image, ISO 800. 135 mm f/2.8 lens.
27 June 2005. Mercury, Venus, and Saturn in the Western sky after sunset. Nikon D100 image, ISO 800. 135 mm f/2.8 lens. Note how much Mercury has shifted with respect to Venus and Saturn.
16 January 2006, 6:00 am MST. Jupiter at top center is between Zubenelgenubi just to its West and Zubeneschamali somewhat more to the East. Below and slightly to the East of Jupiter Scorpius is partially visible above the house. The two bright stars to the East of Scorpius are Han (top) and Sabik (bottom). The two stars above Han and Sabik are Yed Posterior (bottom) and Yed Prior (top). The near Last Quarter Moon was setting in the West illuminating the foreground. Ten second exposure with Nikon D100 at ISO 800, 16 mm f/4 lens.	The bright stars are labeled Another view of Jupiter between Zubenelgenubi and Zubeneschamali
Moon, Venus, Saturn, and Regulus October 7, 2007. One-half second exposure with Nikon D100 digital camera at ISO 800, 50 mm f/4 lens.
The Moon and the Pleiades on April 8, 2008. One-second exposure with 135 mm f/4 lens on a Nikon D100 camera, ISO 800.
The Moon, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter on December 31, 2008. Two-second exposure with 8 mm f/4 lens on a Nikon D100 camera, ISO 800.
The Moon, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter on December 31, 2008. Two-second exposure with 8 mm f/4 lens on a Nikon D100 camera, ISO 800.
On January 29, 2009 Venus was close to the 3.5 day old Moon. The young crescent Moon was visible in the late afternoon, making it a good pointer to daytime viewing of Venus.	This picture of Venus and the crescent Moon was taken at 5:40 pm MST (sunset 5:55 MST). Once found Venus was easily visible in the late afternoon sky about one-hour prior to sunset.