1^ST QUARTER 2009

-HEAVENLY PASSAGE BETWEEN YEARS-

*

URSID SIGNS
-photos by Valentin Grigore (2008.12.21) and verses by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-



The centre of our sky is Polaris,
placed in Ursa Minor.
When this constellation gives birth to
meteors with spectacular traces
before the Winter Holidays,
we have to hope that
a beautiful astronomical year
will follow
as inspiration
for beautiful human deeds.



*

ASTRONOMY
-by Victor Chifelea-

Eyes of space,
Avid collectors of eternal flickers,
Geographers of universal time,
And managers of Magellan’s return
From the infinite…

*

CLIMBING TOWARDS A SOLAR HALO
-photos by Monica Dragan (2008.12.28) and verses by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-



Go towards 2009, people, just go,
All of you with a beneficial halo!



*

ASTRO-INVITATION
-by Arlene Carol (Turkey,
born in U.S.A.)-

Come, let us join together
To celebrate
All of these glorious celestial bodies
And other galactic orrery…

*

MOON-VENUS CONJUNCTION
(2008.12.30)
-photo by Maximilian Teodorescu-



*

FEELING FREE
-by Jos Nijland (Holland,
Dutch Meteor Society)-

My idea of feeling free
is thinking of what more can be
outside this tiny little earth.

How to imagine that
is probably only possible
after a rebirth.

*

MOON-VENUS CONJUNCTION
(2008.12.31)
-photo by Danut Ionescu (New Zealand,
Auckland Astronomical Society;
born in Romania)-



*

VENUS versus MOON
(2008.12.31)
-astro-photo-poem by Dan Mitrut-

the bark of the trees
is empty
the last hours of the year
are poor in frost



the eye watches venus
catches the moon’s sickle
and throws it
into time



P.S.:
I wish all of you a new year full of light.
Refresh your hopes
with treasures of the sky.

*

MOON-VENUS CONJUNCTION
(2008.12.31)
-photo by Catalin Timosca



*

HAIKU
-by Steve Sneyd (U.K.,
Director of Hilltop Press and Editor of Data Dump)-

with one practiced wink
of demon star she’d prove as
above so below

*

PRESUMPTION
-by Razvan Ciomartan-

If God is the sky,
Then I really am a believer…

*

URSA MAJOR OVER THE RETEZAT MOUNTAINS
-photo by Sorin Hotea-



*

HILLTOP OBSERVATORY
(cinquain)
-by Deborah P. Kolodji (U.S.A.,
President of the Science Fiction Poetry Association)-

The sky
seems closer here,
above blankets of light -
braving the cold dark for our glimpse
beyond.

*

DIARY ON THREE EVENINGS
-astro-photo-poem by Valentin Grigore-

1 - 2008.12.30





Splendours in the evening sky again:
a fine show with the Moon
between Venus and the Jupiter-Mercury tandem.
To take a few pictures,
I clandestinely climbed a building in construction.





2 - 2008.12.31

The last day of 2008 brought in the evening sky
a wonderful double conjunction:
the Moon with Venus, and Jupiter with Mercury.



This celestial meeting
delighted the eyes
and filled with joy the souls.



It was both
so simple
and so beautiful!



When will the meetings of the people
(indifferent of their nature)
be the same?

3 - 2009-01-01



The heroes of the celestial configuration,
which captivated us in the last evenings of 2008,
created also the elements of an admirable scenery
in the first evening of 2009.





But it seems that the crowns of the Moon and Venus
announced the change of the weather,
so I’m afraid I cannot watch
the Quadrantid meteor shower…



*

ARDEN IN THE FIRST MONTH
OF THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF ASTRONOMY
-by Emily Gaskin (U.S.A.,
Editor of Astropoetica)-

My daughter does indeed continue to be the brilliant light of my life.
She is 15 months old now,
and this morning she discovered my childhood refractor in a dusty corner.
She looked so precious and proud carrying it around the room,
and I was surprised to see that she has grown to be just as long as it is.
Perhaps she will become an astronomer sooner than I thought possible.


-THINKING OF CONSTELLATIONS-

*

MONOCEROS AND ORION - DEEP FIELD
-photo by Catalin Timosca-



*

SOUND OF 2009
-by Boris Marian (Mehr)-

Oh these hours which lift me, life in life…
They dominate me; is it an excess to live?

I would not like to wake up.
An amazing never-ending season, too fast in all,
I hear spades barking, hard boulders,
White clouds pass in the sky, cries of lambs…

Like Prometheus
I am a prisoner surrounded by eternity,
And torn by the constellation Aquila
Wherever I would be.

*

ORION
-by David Kopaska-Merkel (U.S.A.,
Editor of Dreams and Nightmares - the magazine of fantastic poetry)-

high
climbs
great sky
warrior
when danger threatens
will he draw his wide blade of stars

*

PEGASUS
-by Zigmund Tauberg-

Greek mythology invented a horse,
Pegasus, which carries in flight
The Poets, and admirers of Poetry -
A source for the thrill of beauty.

And for his eternity in the world,
Now a constellation carries his name
In the night sky, as a part of the wealth
Of living stars, which adorn the Canopy,

Up in the heavens, a symbol of the heights
Where we are climbed by Poetry.

*

STAR TRAILS OF ORION AND CANIS MAJOR
-photo by Catalin Timosca-




-QUARTERLY VIEW-

*

UNDER A BRITISH SKY
(Some Thoughts from 2009 January to March)
-by Alastair McBeath (U.K.,
Vice-President of the International Meteor Organization)-

As a long-time meteor observer,
I was hoping for clear skies in early January for the
moonless, major, Quadrantid shower in the first few days,
to get IYA2009 underway in a positive mood.
Sadly, with many of my colleagues in Britain,
the poor weather that had dominated throughout the autumn and early winter,
spilt over into January, and few of us here saw anything of the shower at all.
Undeterred, persistent and lucky sky-watchers across western Britain
were treated to a magnitude -8 fireball around 18:47 UT on January 9,
which probably came down over western Wales and the sea nearby.
More fireballs followed for the UK, but none was so well-seen.
My skies improved in time to let me spot the crescent Moon
approaching the brilliant Venus near the end of January,
Venus which had so dominated the evening twilight since early December.

February's weather, as it can be so often here, was the worst of the winter,
with a light covering of snow for much of the first half,
and often cloudy nights to accompany it.
Even so, Venus was bright enough and visible for long enough in the evenings
to shine through even small breaks.
Comet Lulin, "C/2007 N3" in current scientific parlance,
was expected to brighten as it speeded swiftly northwards along the Zodiac
from Libra to Virgo,
and from excited Internet comments,
it was living up to expectations by mid-month.
I managed my first sighting of it on February 20, using 7x50 binoculars,
soon after 4 a.m., but saw it only once more before the end of the month,
thanks to a dearth of better weather overnight.
I did though spot the crescent Moon next to Venus again,
marking out the end of IYA2009's second month.

March brought a dramatic improvement in nocturnal sky conditions,
and indeed it was my best-ever March for clearer nights,
since I started keeping routine records back in 1982,
beating the previous 'record-holder', 1989, by one better night (20 to 19)!
As a result,
I followed Comet Lulin with the binoculars for much of the first week,
while it passed from Leo into Cancer,
slipping below the "Beehive" star-cluster on March 5.
However, the Moon, which had provided such a delightful spectacle
as a slim crescent when gliding-by Venus,
brightened as it waxed to become too much for the comet,
and March 5 was the last time I spotted it.
Elsewhere, sites across southern Britain were treated to another
spectacular fireball, perhaps as bright as magnitude -10,
as it shot across the southwestern part of the country at 18:45 UT on March 10.
As in January, more fireballs surrounded this one too, but equally similarly,
no others were so heavily-observed.
Venus' evening apparition drew to a close as the quarter ended,
and though I saw the very young crescent Moon once again
in the late-month evening twilight,
Venus had deserted it.


-LUNAR HYPOSTHASES-

*

MOON OVER AUSTRALASIA
(2009.01.04)
-photo by Danut Ionescu (New Zealand,
Auckland Astronomical Society;
born in Romania)



*

A LUNAR CROWN OF -17 DEGREES
(2009.01.09)
-astro-photo-poem by Dan Mitrut-



a few colored rings
cannot delude the clouds like an ice curtain -
the passion of the moon looking for the sun



it is snowing brightness
for the fingers of the trees which dream of
a mild light



*

SEQUENCES OF JANUARY MOON
-photos by Maximilian Teodorescu-







*

EARTHSHINE
-by John Francis Haines (U.K.,
Leader of Eight Hand Gang - British network of SF poets)-

Basking in dim, reflected glory, the Old
Moon sleeps in the New Moon’s arms, but behind
This faded face lurks the Darkside, forever
Hid from view, accessible only through
Direct visit by man or probe, a land
Beyond our ken, Luna’s shadowy secret.

*

SEQUENCES OF FEBRUARY MOON
-photos by Maximilian Teodorescu-





*

MOON
-by Zigmund Tauberg-

The millennium that passed
Fulfilled a fine dream, and a boon,
When humanity made
The wanted step on the Moon.

My love, in this millennium
We hope to go together, soon,
To spend a vacation
At a discreet hotel on the Moon.

*

SEQUENCE OF MARCH MOON
-photo by Maximilian Teodorescu-




*

HAIKU
-by Iulian Olaru-

Tumultuous soul -
The Moon is piously setting
In sounds of bells


-POST-GALILEANS (TELESCOPICS)-

MOTTO

Galileo first to see spots on sun cried
“It’s not perfect”

-Steve Sneyd (U.K.,
Director of Hilltop Press and Editor of Data Dump)-

*

PEOPLE UNDER A MOON-VENUS CONJUNCTION
(2009.02.27)
-photo by Valentin Grigore-



*

GALILEAN
-by Ion(ut) Moraru-

I like to watch heavenly bodies,
but I discover them through the telescope.

*

WATCH
-by Danut Ionescu (New Zealand,
Auckland Astronomical Society;
born in Romania)

When there are not rains and clouds,
we can see some heavenly phenomenon.
So we are in debt to observe the present
which the sky gives us in that moment.

*

HAIKU
-by Iulian Olaru-

Quiet soul -
The storm of light appears
Only in ocular

*

PEOPLE UNDER A MOON-VENUS CONJUNCTION
(2009.02.27)
-photo by Valentin Grigore-



*

THE NIGHT OF THE STARS
-by Irina Cristescu-

With arms of stars,
the night swallows your thoughts and my thoughts,
and in galactic distances
past memories lose in cosmic dust.

Only in my dream
a quiver lights a grain of dust in the galaxy,
and from your words and my words,
said a long time ago,
rings begin to dance,
healing the sparkle of my eye
and the ray of your memory.

*

CONTEMPORARY ASTRONOMY
-by Boris Marian (Mehr)-

The telescope that was named after Hubble
Does not provoke any trouble.
A nebula says to a galaxy:
“I love you, my dear astronomy!”

*

ROSETTE NEBULA
-photo by Alin Tolea (U.S.A.,
professional astronomer at John Hopkins University, Philadelphia;
born in Romania)-




-SOLAR GAMES-

*

IMPERIAL SUNSET
-astro-photo-poem by Catalin Timosca-





On January 11, 2009
I saw a splendid sunset…

…crowned by a tentative
of green flash.





*

BEACH ON THE SUN
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

I preferred to sunbathe
by flying through the chromosphere,

but now I am tanned enough,

so I think I shall lower
to refresh myself a little
at the chill temperature
of the photosphere.

*

SUN PILLAR
-photos by Maximilian Teodorescu-





*

SUN PILLAR
-astro-photo-poem by Dan Mitrut-

and the sunset became
a nest for flights
on a mild wing

stars come to our life



this wonder leaves us mute

our names do not matter
only the living yell
of light

*

SUN PILLAR
-photos by Catalin Timosca-






-ECLIPSES-

*

ANNULAR ECLIPSE, 2009 JANUARY 26TH, INDONESIA
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

Sometimes
Helios is not the same
for all people
because of
Selene’s fancies

*

ECLIPSES
-by Dan Mitrut-

the stars were born
from the love of a cube
for the round thought
from under the eyelid of the night

the broken corners on the rim of the world -
edges carved by the chest of the Milky Way

the dragons knew about this mystery
and tried to sing it

they stole our princesses
and gave names of light to the eclipses

start and end:
the fire

*

LUNAR ECLIPSE THROUGH THE PENUMBRA
(2009.02.09)
-astro-philosophic dialogues by…

Sorin Hotea (from Sighet):

Here, in the north of Romania, this afternoon
I looked through the window, among drops of rain,
and wondered if in this country there are astronomers who have clear skies
and can watch the lunar eclipse through the penumbra.
I uselessly hoped to see the moonrise through the penumbra,
the weather was hostile.
I uselessly hoped to see on the Internet some opinions or even photographs.
Conclusion:
or it was a cloudy weather everywhere,
or a lunar eclipse through the penumbra is not interesting for my compatriots.

Valentin Grigore (from Targoviste):

In the town of Targoviste
the Moon appeared later among the clouds,
but the eclipse had already passed.
I think that any astronomical phenomenon is important.
He who does not watch the minor things,
certainly cannot appreciate the other ones.

Radu Gherase (from Bucharest):

Before the questions, we must reason:
-How many astronomers are in our country.
-How clear the sky was in the last days.
-How many phenomena appear in a time period,
and who selects the most important of them.
Finally, sometimes we have to lower on Earth and to look around us,
not to be surprised by the weather…
and by the times.

Raul Truta (from Bistrita):

Unfortunately, it was a cloudy weather in my town too.
Regarding the sky lovers, too few of them dare to fight the cold.
Many times I heard:
“I shall watch the sky on summertime, when the weather is warmer.”

Laurentiu Alimpie (from Timisoara):

Two other impediments are
the absence of the spare time and the light pollution.
And if sometimes you are able to go out of your town,
the disappointment is very big,
because you can make a comparison with the urban light,
the “passion killer”.

Alexandru Tudorica (from the south of Bucharest):

Fortunately, here, in the south of Romania,
a few guys and I had a clear sky,
but we could not observe a big difference between
the normal moon and the moon in the penumbra.
Otherwise, it’s my round to wonder how many compatriots watch
every minimum of Algol.
Is this not really interesting?


-SATURN’S RING-

*

SATURN
(2009, January 13th)
-astro-photo-poem by Adrian Bruno Sonka
(Coordinator of the “Admiral Vasile Urseanu” Bucharest Municipal Observatory)-

Yes, I photographed Saturn,
but the ring was almost invisible.



I had luck with its saving shadow
on the innocent disc.

*

MORE PRECIOUS THAN SATURN’S RINGS
-by Dan Mitrut-

between two thoughts there are
the courtyards of two stars
the tear of an angel taming
a sheepfold of boulders which travel clandestinely

imagining an emerald morning
(more precious than Saturn’s ring)
traces of a sledge meander on Pluto

pips of an apple yielding fruits
to the edge of the world

*

SATURN
(2009.02.25)
-photo-collage by Lucian Curelaru-



*

SATURN
(haiku)
-by Ion(ut) Moraru-

Saturn is very polite -
he raises his hat
to any watcher

*

SATURN
-photos by Maximilian Teodorescu-

2009.02.07



2009.03.13



2009.03.26




-PHENOMENA-

*

ENEMY OF THE SKY
-photo by Danut Ionescu (New Zealand,
Auckland Astronomical Society;
born in Romania)



*

LIGHT POLLUTION
(haiku)
-by Iulian Olaru-

Moribund star
In the light of a street;
Protect the heavenly bodies!!!

*

PAINT A POEM
-by Arlene Carol (Turkey,
born in U.S.A.)-

Paint me a poem about the sky!
Galactic artists you and I
Let’s arrange the colors as we choose
And paint the heavens with tones of blues.

*

SOLAR GLORY
-photo by Valentin Grigore-



*

HIGH SADNESS
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

A bright fireball was passing
through the night, and sadly saying:
“You will never see me
surrounded by some solar glory!”

*

NIGHT PHENOMENON
-by Marge Simon (U.S.A.,
Editor of Star*Line - the Journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association)-

Night is feeling sexy
a fogbow in her hair

*

“SKY PHENOMENA”
(limerick)
-by David Asher (Northern Ireland,
professional astronomer at the Armagh Observatory
and Counsellor of the International Meteor Organization)-

Understanding what happens up there
Is knowledge you always should share.
Your friends are impressed
And think you're the best
When you predict an Iridium flare!

*

PLEIADES IN ZODIACAL LIGHT
-photo by Catalin Timosca-




-BEAUTIFUL VENUS-

*

VENUS
(2009.02.13)
-photo by Maximilian Teodorescu-



*

VENUS
-by Boris Marian (Mehr)-

It’s too warm on Venus,
So you don’t need skin there,
Although you see it
As the Evening Star.

What can I say more,
Celestial Father?
Is Venus my sister?
Or is it my brother?

*

VENUS OVER AUSTRALASIA
(2009.02.23)
-photo by Danut Ionescu (New Zealand,
Auckland Astronomical Society;
born in Romania)-



*

TO THE HOUSE OF THE EVENING STAR
-by Dan Mitrut-

remember, my son,
in the dawn with a taste of roses
you can connect the root to the star

then,
any drop of the sap
from the creation of the Cosmos
will mysteriously give birth to life

I make these wonders through you

you are just a sparkle
the comet that scratches the sun

the eyes will lower
to the House of the Evening Star
and all our dear disappeared people
riding wings of horses
will satiate the longing
for the milk from pans

caught in bones,
time lowers through you,
and sacred fingers will put you
in an innocent quarter
without words, without pain,
always a supernova

*

VENUS
(2009.02.25)
-photo by Sorin Hotea-




-DEEP SKY-

*

GUM NEBULA
-photo by Alin Tolea (U.S.A.,
professional astronomer at John Hopkins University, Philadelphia;
born in Romania)-



*

DEEP SKY OBJECTS
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

In order to help the cosmic expansion
I painted a new nebula…
I drew a new galaxy…
I sculpted a new cluster of stars…

but the Universe approved
none of them.

*

HOAG’S OBJECT
-by Bruce Boston (U.S.A.,
the first Grand Master of Science Fiction Poetry)-

Deep in Hoag's Object
the sky is blindingly bright
with no chance of night.

*

DARK
-by Steve Sneyd (U.K.,
Director of Hilltop Press and Editor of Data Dump)-

“dark matter is what
hides in intelligent minds”
she says “my blind fear”.

“dark energy is
what drives us on to seek to
end spacetime” his leer.

*

MOORHEN
-by Dan Mitrut-

nocturnal chill

strange stories come from the Pleiades
like from the nest of a moorhen

the vespers of the cocks
through holes of light
are hunting the smile
of melancholic Messier.

*

M45 (PLEIADES)
-photo by Cornel Apetroaiei-



*

VISION
-by Marge Simon (U.S.A.,
Editor of Star*Line - the Journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association)-

Ice rats
nibble away the stars
a galaxy of dark matter
empty

*

EQUINOX
(Spring in Galaxies)
-by Irina Cristescu-

On springtime,
galaxies bloom
while the big stars reduce their light.

In the laboratory of
the flowers of the universe,
petals appear one after another.

Now it is daytime
in my stellar life,
time flows after the local law,
and on Earth
so many petals appear,
odes to the flowers of the spring.

*

TANKA
-by Deborah P. Kolodji (U.S.A.,
President of the Science Fiction Poetry Association)-

stars ricochet
when galaxies collide...
I watch
the simulation
and shiver

*

COMET LULIN AMONG THE GALAXIES OF LEO
-photo by Maximilian Teodorescu-




-MOON-VENUS CONJUNCTION-

*

SOUTH-NORTH PHOTO-DIALOGUE
BETWEEN TWO OLD FRIENDS
-photos by
Danut Ionescu (South Hemisphere) and Valentin Grigore (North Hemisphere);
words by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-





I am looking at two photographs with the same heavenly bodies,
made in the same month in two different hemispheres
by two old Romanian friends:
Danut Ionescu, on February 3rd, 2009
(with Venus and the “sincere” Moon,
because in the South Hemisphere
the Moon in the form of “C’ is really in crescendo,
and the Moon is the form of “D” is in decrescendo,
while in the North Hemisphere
the Moon is “inverse”),
and Valentin Grigore, on February 26th, 2009
(with Venus and the New Moon,
prepared to “lie” its watchers).

Danut Ionescu
(re-founder of the astronomical magazine Orion between 1990 and 1993,
and creator of the weekly broadcast “Contact Astronomic-Radio Contact”
between 1993 and 1997) lives now in New Zealand.
Valentin Grigore
(founder and President of SARM since 1993,
creator and organizer of SARM’s annual Perseid Event also since 1993)
has remained a pillar of Romanian astronomy.

Both of them organized SARM’s Perseid Event in 1995,
when they invited me to put the bases of
SARM’s Cosmopoetry Festival and astropoetry movement.
Now each of them is involved in organizing the International Year of Astronomy
in his country.

Looking at their photographs,
it seems they express:

every great friendship must resist in time,
as in the heavens there are Venus and the Moon,
two much older friends.

*

DANCE OVER CLOUDS
(2009.02.28)
-photo by Catalin Timosca-



*

A SHE AND A HE
NEXT TO THE SAME TREE
(2009.02.28)
-photos by Cristina Tinta (1) and Alex(andru) Conu (2)-





*

THE MOON AND VENUS ENJOY
DRACULA’S TOWER CHINDIA IN TARGOVISTE
(2009.02.28)
-photos by Valentin Grigore-







*

CHOIR OF SELENE AND VENUS
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

Keep admiring us,
earthly friend.
For you
we are two fascinating goddesses
and tops of beauty.

Keep admiring us,
earthly friend,
but do not close to us:
you risk to discover that we are not so fine,
and you can die
frozen, burnt or suffocated.

Keep imagining,
earthly friend,
but remember that everything
has an end.

*

SPACE SYNCHRON SWIMMING
-photos by Maximilian Teodorescu-

2009.02.28



2009.02.28



2009.03.03




-NORTHERN LIGHTS-

*

NORTHERN LIGHTS
-by Alfredo Caronia (Italy,
co-discoverer of three asteroids)

The lyrical sound
of the northern lights
fascinatingly surrounds
the earth,
mirror of emotions,
cohesion of the farthest flows,
signal of the sun
that is fragmented
in grains of particulate matter,
braiding together fragments
of rotating colours
among the stars.

*

POLAR AURORAE
-by Zigmund Tauberg-

In polar nights,
curtains of colored light appear.

Yes, even in the polar nights,
shows of light, real wonders,
carry on in the sky,
and a theatrical season takes six months,
performed by radiations come from the Sun.

The auditorium, polar regions.
The audience, people that live there.
The stage is the atmosphere.
Theatrical seasons, repeated
as long as Terra exists.

And all this spectacular night fun
is happily directed by the Sun.

*

AN AMERICAN GOTHIC ENCOUNTER OF THE THIRD KIND
-by Marge Simon (U.S.A.,
Editor of Star*Line - the Journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association)-

A farmer stands
pitchfork in hand
straight and stoic.
Unblinking, he stares
at the horizon
for a long time.

His daughter steps out
of the white frame house
to water her geraniums.
She notices he hasn't moved
from the spot she last saw him.

Worried, she comes over
to touch his shoulder,
a question in her eyes.
She tries to see
what he's thinking.
She tries to know
what he's seen.

A pale blue ichor
slides down the tines
of his pitchfork,
drips to his sleeve.
But if she notices,
she says nothing.

She takes his arm
and leads him inside.
She places the fork
next to the door.

He never tells her
what he has seen.

But in the morning
she finds plenty
of meat in the freezer,
enough to tide them
through a long
winter of strange
Northern Lights.

*

AURORA BOREALIS OVER NORWAY
(2009.03.21 and 2009.03.22)
-photos by Casper ter Kuile (Holland,
Dutch Meteor Society)-








-PARADES OF COMETS-

*

ASTRONOMY
-by Cristina Tinta-

Astronomy exists all over the sky,
and awaits us to look at the heights,
to use a telescope,
to note,
to draw,
or just to enjoy the heavens.
But I speak too much
when two comets, Kushida and Lulin,
invite us...

*

COMET KUSHIDA
-astro-photo-poem by Eugen Florin Marc-

The comet appears timid in my picture,
close to a star
at the limit of visibility.



It’s not a big deal,
but I’ve thought to share it with you,
maybe someone can make a better portrait.

*

LULIN IN LIBRA AND VIRGO
-by Ion(ut) Moraru-

Maybe Comet Lulin appeared
from the Balance
to the Maiden
to attract the people’s attention
from inequity
to purity...

*

COMET LULIN ON FEBRUARY 6th, 2009
-photo by Maximilian Teodorescu-



*

COMET LULIN ON FEBRUARY 7th, 2009
-photo by Radu Gherase-



*

OBSERVING COMET LULIN AND SATURN IN CONJUNCTION
(2009.02.24)
-photo by Valentin Grigore-



*

COMET LULIN IN 2009.02.26
-by Dan Mitrut-

The February nights are usually grey.

Suffocated on the horizon,
Orion makes a stick from his bow,
and a glove from its sting.
He warms his hands until midnight,
when the fog deadens the bark of the dogs.

Constellations flicker timidly
beyond the glass of the sky.

A raven watches the trinket from between Saturn and Leo.
It seems to be an easy prey.

But he has to be in a hurry.
Soon, the trinket will adorn the chest of the Lion,
and this would be dangerous.

*

COMET LULIN IN 2009.02.26
-photos by Maximilian Teodorescu-





*

DREAM
-by Cristian Miala-

I travelled in my dream
on the tail of a comet
towards unseen constellations.

Stars were
my guides,
and meteoroids
my friendly companions.

*

COMET LULIN AND A METEOR
-photo by Alex(andru) Conu-



*

LULIN IN LEO
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

Nobody on Earth
can eclipse a royal lion.

The same in the heavens:

not even a comet
can eclipse the constellation Leo!

*

REGULUS AND COMET LULIN
-photo by Cristina Tinta-



*

COMET LULIN IN 2009.02.28
-photo by Vlad Dumitrescu-



*

COMET LULIN IN 2009.02.28
-photo by Maximilian Teodorescu-



*

COMET LULIN IN 2009.02.28
-photo by Alex(andru) Conu-



*

COMET LULIN IN 2009.02.28
-photo by Eugen Florin Marc-



*

COMET LULIN IN 2009.03.01
-photo by Catalin Mitu-



*

LULIN IN CANCER
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

Comet Lulin continues her trip
through constellations,
passing now through Cancer.

The only thing is
I’m afraid that
some cluster of stars
(such as the Beehive)
may sting her.

*

COMET LULIN NEXT TO M44 - PRAESEPE OR BEEHIVE
(2009.03.04)
-photo by Catalin Timosca-



*

GOOD BYE, COMET LULIN
(2009.03.21)
-photo by Maximilian Teodorescu-




-HALOS-

*

SOLAR HALO
(2009.03.08)
-photo by Alex(andru) Conu-



*

PSEUDO-LIMERICK
-by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

Hullo,
hello,
I am sure that you
can catch anything with your lasso,
ephemeral halo!

*

PSEUDO-QUATRAIN
-by Marge Simon (U.S.A.,
Editor of Star*Line - the Journal of the Science Fiction Poetry Association)-

water droplets diffract
the heavens' light:
a tree on the horizon
sports a halo bright

*

LUNAR HALO
(2009.03.09)
-photo by Catalin Paduraru “Sarpe”-




-TO A HAPPY SPRING-

*

ALL I WANT IS TOTAL FREEDOM
-by Larry Jaffe (U.S.A.,
Founder and Coordinator of “Poets for Human Rights”)-

What is this thing
called freedom?

Don't we live
in the land
of the free?

The home
of the brave?

I have the right
to vote
and the right
to complain.

What more
can I want?

Some would say
there is no more
that I should
be happy
with my lot.

But I have never
been one happy
with status quo
I want more.

I want it all
the full monte
the whole
enchilada.

I repeat
I want more!

I don't want
to just be free
I want to be
totally free
of mechanical
constraints &
of the body suit
I wear

I want dignity
and integrity
full spiritual
freedom
not meditative
mediocrity

I want
to explore
every facet
of the universe
mine
yours
ours

I want
to be free
without caveat
or reservation

I want to dream
without sleeping
fly without wings
soar to infinity
and love you
forever.


-INTERNATIONAL AND GLOBAL EVENTS-

*

“GLOBE AT NIGHT”
-verses by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe and photo (M42 in Orion) by Alin Tolea (U.S.A.,
professional astronomer at John Hopkins University, Philadelphia;
born in Romania)-

Counting normally the stars of the most beautiful constellation,
I am glad that my eyes
have not the power of a telescope,
but I am sad that,
because of the light pollution,
I cannot see as many stars
as it would be possible.

We need a normal Orion
over a normal world.



*

“MESSIER MARATHON”
-words and photo by Sorin Hotea-

This year I started optimistic because I have new equipments.
As Saturday 2009.03.21 the sky became very blue,
rarely perturbed by clouds of low altitude,
I prepared my materials and instruments for the night of 21/22,
and together with a younger fellow I went to a hill close to my town
(Sighet, north of Romania).
Inconvenient: the lighthouses of cars.
Advantages: a good sky and a horizon of 360 degrees.

We installed the telescope, waited for the night and began by looking at Venus.
Through the binocular, this planet seemed like a smaller moon.
Through the telescope, Venus’ sickle seemed to be very thin,
composed of intermittent points.
More than this, Venus’ sickle seemed like adorned by the rainbow’s colors.

After Venus set, we began the Messier marathon.
First we took the easiest objects,
and then found the first difficult objects, M77 and M74.
After a short “halt” on Comet Lulin, we continued to the Coma-Virgo zone.
We watched a little the planet Saturn (which was extraordinary
thanks to the reduced turbulence), and then,
sagged in the clusters of the galaxies of Coma and Virgo,
we could escape only after we saw all their Messier objects.
We continued with the easy objects of Lyra, Cygnus and Ophiucus.

In the morning, the temperature lowered to under 0 degrees,
but we resisted.
The real craziness started around 4 o’clock,
when we began to observe the objects of Sagittarius.
The Moon appeared in Capricornus at about 4.45,
we saw the last objects (M54, M69 and M70) at about 5.00,
and Jupiter appeared on the eastern horizon at about 5.10.

We uselessly tried to find M72, M73, M55 and M75
(maybe we should try one week later),
and M30 cannot be seen from Romania,
so we decided to finish our marathon at about 5.20.

Final result: 105 objects (from 110).
Practically, all the observable objects!



*

“EARTH HOUR”
-haiku by Andrei Dorian Gheorghe and photos by Valentin Grigore-

One hour when
the Sky is free and the Earth
becomes a part of it.



*

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