The View from California
Planetary / Lunar Conjunction
May 14, 2002

During early May, 2002, the five planets Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury are clearly visible in the Western sky just after sunset. This alignment of the planets has been a spectacular nightly dance since the second half of April and early into May this year. Be sure to look right after sunset on a clear horizon to catch fleet little Mercury, as it sets quickly.

Venus is the brightest of all the planets in the group, while Mars is the dimmest.

On May 14, another visitor joined the dance: the crescent new moon. So we have here an even more spectacular conjunction of the moon and the planets, with the moon nestled right between Venus and Mars.

The View from California - May 14, 2002

AAAA member Isaac Kikawada photographed this beautiful event from his Backyard in San Jose, CA, capturing bright Venus at dusk, and the soft glow of Earthshine on the new moon.

"On May 14 many people were duly excited about the planet conjunction, but it was quite hard for me catch all the visible planets with the Moon in one photo.  So I just concentrated on the brightest ones here.  As a bonus I did get a star between the Moon and Venus!

"For this series of planet conjunction, I like the one on May 7."

Isaac Kikawada
San Jose, CA
HeidiandIsaac@windandtree.com

Six Planets in Alignment on May 7, 2002

From Top to Bottom: Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Saturn,  Mercury, and Earth. Also identified on this shot are the asteroids Medusa and Athena, and the bright stars Betelgeuse in Orion and Elniath in Auriga.

May 15, 2002 - Occultations

In the evening of May 15, 2002, I was rather preoccupied with the planets and almost missed the occultation of small stars by the Moon with beautiful Earthshine.  The two lower stars, HIP31412 and TYC1884-1182-1, must have gone through earlier.  I did visually catch the blinking away of HIP31730 just around 9:30 local time, which always is an instantly rewarding experience for me.  By the time HIP31850 was to disappear, the battery in my camera died!  So, this time I just ended up with the have been and will be occulted stars!

This was taken through the TV Pronto with my Olympus Digital 4040 at about two-second exposure.

For your amusement,   isaac+

Photos on this page copyright Isaac Kikawada
San Jose, CA.