As we were eating supper this evening (which was a delicious chicken and barley soup - thanks for the inspiration, K!) I looked out the window to see a lovely sliver of moon and two stars, or so I thought. So of course, I took pictures. Turns out that they're Venus and Jupiter. And this particular configuration with the moon isn't due to fall into place again for another 44 years. Assuming I'll still be around, I will be 71 years old. Some think that this may have been the configuration the wise men saw at the time of the birth of Jesus. I like to think so - it feels warm and fuzzy. Maybe we've been watching too many episodes of Battlestar Galactica and Dr Who, but I am completely amazed that so much exists in space that we know so little about. Or that I know so little about, anyway. It's very reassuring.
Monday, December 01, 2008
dance by the light of the...
As we were eating supper this evening (which was a delicious chicken and barley soup - thanks for the inspiration, K!) I looked out the window to see a lovely sliver of moon and two stars, or so I thought. So of course, I took pictures. Turns out that they're Venus and Jupiter. And this particular configuration with the moon isn't due to fall into place again for another 44 years. Assuming I'll still be around, I will be 71 years old. Some think that this may have been the configuration the wise men saw at the time of the birth of Jesus. I like to think so - it feels warm and fuzzy. Maybe we've been watching too many episodes of Battlestar Galactica and Dr Who, but I am completely amazed that so much exists in space that we know so little about. Or that I know so little about, anyway. It's very reassuring.
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5 comments:
I noticed this last night too! It was quite stunning, I'm glad you got a picture :)
Cool! I saw those & didn't know they were planets!!
I wanted to be an astrophysicist once upon a time, but I've gotten away from keeping tabs on the night sky now. If I can't see it out our huge south facing window, then I don't know about it. LOL! My 12 YO reads Sky & Telescope, but he never tells me when the cool stuff happens.
I imagine this configuration will be around for a few more nights (planets don't travel that fast), so I'll try and catch it tonight. I'll be 88 in 44 more years, and I'm not too sure I'll be alive then to see it. :}
what? 44 years? I heard it was 10 years!
this was quite a sight - wish i had taken a picture too. i had a heads up about it from the net, so took the kids out so they could see. they've been checking out the night sky ever since.
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