Finally, the clouds cleared and the weather held steady. We made it up to Pilot Mt. State Park. Around 200 people joined us for a close up view of Venus, Jupiter, and several other celestial objects. Many of the Winter constellations, including Orion, were visible. There was also a planetary alignment when seven planets were up in the night sky – although only Venus, Jupiter, and Mars were clearly visible. Still, it was a great night!
Oh yes, the sunset was quite nice as well.
One member brought his Seestar S50 for a few great images of the Orion Nebula, The Horsehead & Flame nebulas, along with Bode’s & the Cigar Galaxies. Another member also captured a couple images around Orion’s Belt and the Pleiades that evening with his Canon 6D using a 135mm lens. For more astrophotography from our members, see FAS Astrophotography Images.
Image Credits: Bruce Gavett & Joe Haberthier. Seestar Images were re-stacked and sharpened in the Seestar app. Other images were processed in PixInsight.
If you missed this one, we’ll be back again on Friday, March 28, 2025 (weather permitting). We also have several observations planned for the NC Statewide Star Party on Friday, April 4 & Saturday, April 5.
To learn more about astronomy, telescopes, and observing the night sky, see our Astronomy Resources and Outreach Events.
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