🌙 A Celestial Event 🌒

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

The bright star is Venus next to the half moon. First time I noticed that planet to be so bright. According to the local news it is called a celestrial event.

Took this photo tonight (5/18/26) during my dog's last potty break before bedtime @ around 9:45 PM.

Screenshot 2026-05-18 at 10.33.43 PM.png

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

twinsister · ‎03-12-2010

I saw it around 9:30 - it was amazing!

LisaMofSLC · ‎11-12-2010

There will also be a blue moon this month. The 31st, I think.

TerryNJ · ‎09-23-2020

Beautiful, thank you for the pictures.

Goldengate8361 · ‎01-27-2014

@Mz iMac thanks for posting this. I've always wondered how folks can differentiate stars from planets.... I must not have a good eye for this. Thanks for pointing this out.

Still Raining · ‎03-30-2014

Wonderful picture. We don't have any light interference up here, but I sure missed this one.

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

@Goldengate8361 wrote:
@Mz iMac thanks for posting this. I've always wondered how folks can differentiate stars from planets.... I must not have a good eye for this. Thanks for pointing this out.

@Goldengate8361 You're welcome.

Since I've always lived in highrise apts w/balcony I've always had an astronomy tri-pod telescope as I enjoy star & comet watching. A pictorial astronomy book came w/the telescope. That is how I learned to "find" planets & comets. However, it's not one w/a camera. Planets are easy to see. Stars you cannot "see" w/a store bought telescope. You need those giant ones the astronomers uses. Just a twinkle far off in the distant from the ground.

From the ground: Mars is reddish (the red planet) & bright.

Venus & Jupiter are not as bright as Mars just larger.

Mercury - I can only see it on a clear night & only for a few minutes then it's gone. I live in the boonies so the sky is jet black. No city lights interfering.

I have been hinting to family members & paramour about astronomy binoculars as my B-day is next month. At my age is time to star gaze w/BOTH eyes while lying down on a lounge chair.

The only thing I don't like about star gazing is that you have to keep moving the telescope because the earth is rotating. It's more noticeable star gazing than than not.

Last night I used my flip phone to take the pic. It still has a film over the viewing window which I have not removed yet as I am still playing around w/it.

I am going to use my digital cam tonight & attempt to film from my balcony. Hopefully, I can film a larger moon & planet which will be clearer.

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

4kitties · ‎03-09-2010

@Mz iMac

You got a nice picture of this. I was just barely able to see it last night as I was getting ready for bed. Was barely visible just above our tree line. I knew that was a planet near the moon but did not know it was Venus. We live in an area with LOTS of trees and I cannot see the horizon because of them.

“I heard the sound I had to follow”
In Your Wildest Dreams by Justin Hayward

MJDinVegas · ‎04-04-2014

Greetings, all! I have two apps on my phone: Night Sky and Star Chart. Both allow to point the phone toward the sky and will tell you what stars, planets and constellations are in your field of vision. Both apps were free to download off the App Store.