Saw a wonderful celetial spectacle this morning

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

I wonder how many thought so. But I just could not help gazing at that marvellous sight in the eastern sky before and just a few minutes after the first rays of the sun lit the sky.

I had got up early this morning and was out for my morning walk well before dawn. 5.40 to be precise. After a 3-minute ride I was on the ground - I go to the athletic ground for various reasons - for my first steps of the 35-minute session. I always look at the sky, look at my favourite constellation, the Orion, if it is still visible. On the eastern sky this morning, there was a feast waiting for me. The two arms of the 1% waning crescent moon seemed like inviting the two bright objects - one must be some brighter planet and the other dimmer star. They were the most pronounced in that range of vision. I don't know how many times I looked at it during my 7-8 rounds of the athletic track and for 10 minutes during the excercise session, though by that time day had broken and the sky had turned from orange to bright white as the sun was making his way up and the dimmer star had become invisible. I have imitated the sight here in MS Paint. The angle is too much acute here where as it was about 20 degrees up towards the left, actually. Hope you can spot 'my dim star' in this.

Last month, I had seen another spectacle - man made. It was the International Space Station orbiting the earth. Two lights slowly moved in the sky for some minutes. That time I was in the train returning from a long journey when the train had stopped at a station 600 miles from home and I was relaxing near the door to stretch my legs a bit. I looked up and there was that. On my return home, the local paper, the next evening, had alerted citizens to view the spectacle, much to my delight. People here too saw the same a day later.


Thumbnail by Dinu
(Zone 7a)

Dinu, I go out and watch the sky a lot. I've seen the space station many times. It's quite a sight. My husband and I have a telescope and it's wonderful. I wish I could tell you what you saw but I can't find my Astrnomy magazine.

Gladwin, MI(Zone 5a)

I don't know much about the planets and the sky, other than it is great to look up and see the stars.

I did read this in the paper a couple days ago.

Could this be what you saw?
(copy of text from beginning of article)

"Planets give us plenty to talk about this month
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
A dance of the two innermost planets - Mercury and Venus - is under way in the elegance of the pre-dawn sky this month.

A faint, waning crescent moon joins the pair of planets this Wednesday morning. Look for it on the east-southeastern horizon, just before dawn.

Of the five planets visible to the unaided eye, Mercury is the most difficult to see. "

http://www.mlive.com/baycity/stories/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1204647330128371.xml&coll=4

Here is the link, if you can access the whole article.

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

Thanks C'chick. I think that is the Venus as I had guessed. I saw the link. Quite informative. There is an 82-year old man who is an expert in astronomy but I am yet to find time to meet him - haven't met him but read his articles in the local papers. He is just a mile away! Let's see if 2008 brings on that event - me meeting him! Have been postponing it for 5 years now!!

Victoria Harbour, ON

OMG, that's spectacular...didn't know it was possible to see the space station? Guess I should be looking up at the sky more often..thanks for sharring..

(Zone 7a)

-Betty, you can google International Space Station or NASA and find it. It's really worth it.

Mysore, India(Zone 10a)

I saw that space station as two bright and glowing Venuses slowly wafting along. Quite a sight.

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