Lately, I have been watching Jupiter and Saturn with great interest in the western early evening sky(with a comet in the picture even!) Now with an event that won’t be seen again for 800 years, as I understand it, nature has decided to draw a curtain of clouds across the great stage of the sky every evening, thus I am unable to view the event as it happens.
So what about you? What events happened during your life that you missed that you wish you could have not missed? That you miss being a part of?
Well, I missed the total eclipse of 1970 in Valdosta GA because of clouds, and was quite miserable about it. Finally finally saw a total eclipse nearly 40 years later in 2017 which made up for a lot.
Mom and I have been going out on our front porch every night to look at the planets. We have wonderful dark, clear skies.
So far, its rained 16 times this year, so one should be able to reasonably assume that we will have an awesome view on Monday, right? Nope, forecast is cloudy with rain and snow in northern areas.
I was going to mention the next total eclipse to pass over my house, which will be May 20th 2078 (and with a totality longer than the 2017 one) when I would be 104 years old.
Except for certain scientists who get a rare opportunity to study the sun’s corona during totality, an eclipse means…it gets dark. Of course, at night you don’t have the opportunity to burn your retinas by looking up too soon, and I know some folks really look forward to that. There is the phenomenon of hearing the birds stop singing, and the insects take over, but that happens every night, too.
If you really love that sort of thing, and you want to plan to get on a plane to get to the right place at the right time on the right day, don’t let me stop you. Knock yourself out.
I’ve seen four totalities so far, and each was spectacular in its own way. The one on April 8, 2024 will go right over our house, but it’ll probably be cloudy.
Mother Nature relented tonight, which I believe is the night of closest conjunction. I snapped a few photos with my phone’s camera. They’re not the best pics, but I think fascinating none the less. Here are the best ones, with editing to enlarge the pic and bring out the very few details possible. Saturn is the dim blob to the right.
I’m sure it’s just an artifact of atmosphere and camera, but it almost looks like Io or Callisto to the left and Europa at the bottom of Jupiter based on where they were according to my skye app at the time I took this photo
Here is the enlarged detail pic more clearly showing what I meant. Saturn the dim, brown bulge to the right, Europa the small bead like thing at the bottom of Jupiter and either Io or Callisto the larger bead like bulge to the left. Like I said, I’m sure they’re just artifacts of atmosphere and camera, but it’s still a fun thought anyway.
The top pic was taken at 5:57 pm local and the second pic was taken 6:04 pm.
Dang, now I’ll have to find something else to miss.
My motorcycle, yeah I miss that and have regretted selling it all these long 25 years as I knew I would when I sold it
I seem to remember everything being very pink during an eclipse a few years back. It was like the whole world was pink for a few minutes. I might as well have been on Mars.
Also, a 99% totality eclipse is 1% cool. A 100% eclipse is 150% cool. 2024 is a golden opportunity if you are anywhere in the eastern half of the US. Don’t miss it.
