HONOLULU (KHON2) – The conjunction of Venus and Jupiter on Wednesday, March 1 caused quite a stir, with dozens of curious onlookers calling in to see what it was.
Many people were glued to the night sky, mesmerized by two bright lights that seemed to twinkle toward the western sky.
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UH Associate Astronomer Roy Gall explained that it was the annual Venus-Jupiter conjunction.
“It’s not aliens. It’s not a spy balloon. It’s just those planets,” Gall said.
Nick Bradley, astronomer and owner of Stargazers of Hawaii, took some shots from his balcony.
“It was really cool. Venus and Jupiter came right next to each other,” he said. “I’m watching it [the] last few days. They were far away; And every day, it gets closer. And, now, they’ve changed places because they’re orbiting the Sun.”
On Thursday evening, March 2, Bradley was busy hosting his monthly free stargazing event at the Royal Hawaiian Center.
“It’s my passion, just learning about the universe and sharing it with the public. People are so curious about space, and I love being able to share that with them,” Bradley said.
The main event and star of the show, being featured in his seven-foot telescope, is the Moon.
The photo taken through the lens captured the largest and brightest object in our night sky.
The dozens who showed up did not disappoint.
Sakura Pappalardo, age 7, and her family who live in Honolulu came to get a better look at the moon.
“It looked big and with lots of holes,” she said.
“I could see all the craters in the moon,” said Michael Smith, who had come from Australia with his family.
He said, ‘It is very exciting.
Michael’s father, Nathan Smith, said, “It’s fantastic.”
“My favorite thing about the telescope is probably how breathtaking the resolution of everything was. It’s so detailed. You look at the moon; you kind of take it for granted. Oh, it’s just up there There is a rock; but when you look at it through a telescope, there’s more on the surface than you really think,” said Smith.
Bradley reported that Venus and Jupiter were still visible, shining brightly, although they were slightly further out than they were the previous night.
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If you’re interested in learning more about the night sky, Royal Hawaiian Center once in a month. It is free to the public.
