MOON-VENUS-JUPITER:
CONJUNCTION-OCCULTATION-CONJUNCTION

Photo: Laurentiu Alimpie, Timisoara, 2008-12-01

Photo: Octavian Stanescu, Timisoara, 2008-12-01

Photo: Valentin Grigore, Targoviste, 2008-12-02

PROLOGUE

If I would be a medieval poet
in the geocentric system,
I would dream of a fantastic ascension
through the seven planetary skies
(I suppose the sky of the fixed stars
would be too far, however),
with halts in
the first sky - of the Moon,
the third sky - of Venus,
and the sixth sky - of Jupiter.
(This time I would not have reasons to stop in
the second sky - of Mercury,
the fourth sky - of the Sun,
the fifth sky - of Mars,
and the seventh sky - of Saturn.)

If I would be a future astronaut,
I would dream of a realistic travel
to the Earth’s satellite,
and on the Moon I would decide
my next direction:
towards Venus
(closer to the Sun)
or towards Jupiter
(closer to the edges of the solar system)…

-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe-

Photo: Ioan Agavriloaiei, Fagaras Mountains (2008, December 1st)

SARM’s Astro 2008 Event:
a national group of sky lovers at Planetarium Pitesti (2008, December 1st)
Photo: Valentin Grigore

2008 DECEMBER 1ST

1

Magnificent evening. Extraordinary show.
The words are too few to express
what I experimented during
the Moon-Venus-Jupiter conjunction
and the Moon-Venus occultation.

I didn’t know how to look at them better:
through the telescope
or with the naked eye.
Through the telescope I saw Venus’ small disc
sliding through the back of the Moon.
With the naked eye I was a witness
of the evening star’s extinction.

-Sorin Hotea, Sighet-

Photo-series: Sorin Hotea

2

A partially clear sky,
with transient clouds covering the Moon from time to time.
I caught the event in a park.
Afterwards the Moon set after buildings and trees.

-Eugen Florin Marc, Targu Mures-

Photo-series: Eugen Florin Marc

3

I watched the Moon-Venus occultation
in excellent conditions.
I caught even
two satellites of Jupiter.

-Catalin Timosca, Turda-

Photo-series: Catalin Timosca

2008 DECEMBER 2ND

1

This evening I took two images
(the first with the crescent Moon).

-Maximilian Teodorescu, Magurele-

Photo-series: Maximilian Teodorescu

2

In order to make sweeter
the bitter from yesterday
(when I missed the occultation because of the fog),
this evening I was to observe the Moon-Venus-Jupiter configuration,
with the Moon in growth and climbing,
with the sky furrowed by textures of thin clouds.

-Valentin Grigore, Targoviste-

Photo-series: Valentin Grigore

EPILOGUE

…But I am just a contemporary man,
escaped for a moment from my stressful job
in order to admire the relaxed dance
of the Moon, Venus and Jupiter
over a clenched world…

So I can be
neither a medieval poet
nor a future astronaut.

-Andrei Dorian Gheorghe, Bucharest-

MOON-VENUS-JUPITER: CONJUNCTION-OCCULTATION-CONJUNCTION

MOON-VENUS-JUPITER:
CONJUNCTION-OCCULTATION-CONJUNCTION