The Planetary Party was held at ESAC after sunset, on 14th March 2012. Venus and Jupiter came closest in a conjunction about 3.5deg apart. Around 30 people gathered around the telescopes to watch the beautiful show.
Venus and Jupiter setting during the ESAC Planetary Party.
Mounting the telescopes before the ESAC Planetary Party.
Venus, the jewel of the night, was seen as a magnificent bright beacon, outshining any other star or planet in the sky.
Jupiter seemed to the naked eye a mere companion of Venus in their diving beyond the horizon, over the Aulencia castle. But through the telescope he showed its might. For a good reason he is the king of the planets.
Mars could be seen in the Eastern sky, with a remarkable reddish hue showing clearly the northern polar cap. Mars raised high in the sky during the night, chasing its companions. He did not to want to miss the show.
The party finished with the farewell of the most prominent object of the winter sky: M42, the Orion Nebula. The images were captured during the observation in order to shown the chromatic richness of this nebula. Visually through the telescope it is perceived as a diffuse but structured greenish area.
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