JeffPo's Skyshots Page
Last update: 05/11/07
If
you look closely, you'll see Saturn in the center of the picture. This
was about a 5 second exposure on 400asa film. It was taken just after
sunset, looking towards the west of course, about mid-March, 1998. I
was just a few steps away from my house near Fuquay Varina, NC. At
the time I could also see Mercury to the lower right of Saturn but it didn't
show up on the picture. The three stars across the top (from left to
right) are Alrescha (alpha Pisces), omicron Pisces, and eta Pisces.
I
took this shot of polar star trails during April of 1986. I was out
observing Comet Halley at the time. I think it's about a 10 minute
exposure. The site was near the town of Wagram, North Carolina.
I took this shot of the crescent
Moon and Venus during an evening in April of 1986. Venus is just above
the kind of short tree in the center. Taken from Raleigh, North Carolina.
I snapped
this shot of a Venus and Moon conjunction on the evening of February 24,
1993. This was taken from Redmond, Washington.
Here's another shot of the crescent moon and the planet Venus
above the tree tops. This image was taken on the evening of January
19, 1999 from Cary, NC.
The February 1999 Conjunctions
All of the images below were taken with 100asa film. The exposures ranged from 5 to 10 seconds.
Jupiter
and Venus in the evening sky of February 20, 1999, above the Laurinburg-Maxton
airport. Mercury is down in the murk, and shows on the print, but doesn't
show too well on this scanned image.
Here's the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, and Venus above the Laurinburg
airport; February 20, 1999.
Mercury
above Laurinburg airport, February 20, 1999. Mercury is just above
center.
Here's a shot of Jupiter, Venus, and with Mercury
easily visible just above the horizon. Taken at Harris Lake on the
evening of February 22, 1999.
Here's a remarkable image that shows just how bright
these two planets are, and why all my friends have been asking me about the
"stars" they have been seeing in the evening sky. Here's Jupiter and
Venus over Harris Lake, February 22, 1999. Check out the reflection
of light in the water. The wind was up a little, and the water was
rough, so the light was actually a "beam" across the water. It was
truly amazing.
Aurora display
at my central NC home on Nov. 5, 2001.
Orion
through the trees at Hanging Rock State Park, Easter weekend 2002. Trees
illuminated by campfire.
Here's
another aurora from my central NC home on 10/30/03. This is toward
the northeast. Light pollution made it hard to see. I'm hoping
my attempts on film come out a little better. This image was taken
with my Nikon 995 digital camera.
Here's
some aurora from near my central NC home on 11/20/03. It's about a
30 second shot on 200asa film. Unfortunately I didn't take time to
focus the image well.
This
is my best shot yet of Mercury, taken on 03/24/04, around 7:21pm, near my
Fuquay-Varina home. I was using my Nikon 995 digital camera set to
400asa. It's about a 3 second shot. Digital cameras are great!
You instantly see your results. And from how well Mercury turned
out, I think I've been exposing too long with my film cameras.
This is
an image of the Moon and Venus above my house. Taken on 02/19/07 with my
Nikon 995 digital camera, with a few seconds exposure.