These beautiful tropical views of the Lunar/Planetary Conjunction of May 14, 2002, were photographed by AAAA member Leo Andriao, Junior, in Araraquara, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Click on the small images for an enlarged view.

The View from Brazil
Planetary / Lunar Conjunction
May 14, 2002

During early May, 2002, the five planets Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury are clearly visible in the Western sky just after sunset. This alignment of the planets has been a spectacular nightly dance since the second half of April and early into May this year. Be sure to look right after sunset on a clear horizon to catch fleet little Mercury, as it sets quickly.

Venus is the brightest of all the planets in the group, while Mars is the dimmest.

On May 14, another visitor joined the dance: the crescent new moon. So we have here an even more spectacular conjunction of the moon and the planets, with the moon nestled right between Venus and Mars.

The View from Brazil - May 14, 2002

AAAA member Leo Andrio, Junior, photographed this beautiful event from his home in Araraquara, Brazil, against a setting of tropical splendor. Araraquara is an agricultural center 2-3 hours northwest of Sao Paulo.

Photos on this page copyright Leo Andriao, Junior, Araraquara, Brazil

"I want to share with you these photos that I took of yesterday's Moon-Venus  conjunction. I took them at the Clube Nautica in Araraquara, the same place I use to do my other astronomical observations.

"Look closely and you will see Venus to the right and top of the moon, and Mars to the left and below the moon. I caught TWO planets as well as the moon!

"After shooting the photos, I searched at the computer using "Starry Night"  software, to verify that the planet at lower left and close to the moon is Mars and that one of the two "stars" that we see at the lower left of the tree is Saturn. What the other is I am not sure (Aldebaran, perhaps). 

"It has been beautiful here watching the planets "dance" from night to night in the western sky. I liked these photos so much that I wanted to share them with other AAAA members."

Clear Skies,

Leo Andriao, Junior, AAAA
Araraquara, Sao Paulo
Brazil
[email protected]