Vicki flagged me that Jupiter was very close to Earth right now, right next to the moon, and very much worth checking out in our telescope.
Since we were going to spend a couple of nights up in Park City, it only made sense to take our telescope and get a peek at what we could in the night sky far away from city lights.
Getting a good picture of the moon: Didn't even need the telescope for that.
The glaringly bright full moon with Jupiter at 3 o'clock. I was shooting with just my hand held camera.
As usual, I had forgotten to take my tripod along, darn it, otherwise it would have been even clearer shot.
We forgot the part that goes on the telescope to hook up a camera to photograph what is seen through the eye of the telescope. But look what I could get just pushing my camera as close to the eye piece as I could and clicking away!
Bernie had focused the telescope on Jupiter. Then he had me take a look.
I looked and looked, thinking I was seeing a bunch of stars.
When my brain finally said: That IS Jupiter, and those other tiny stars are Jupiter's four largest moons I started whooping!
The moons were each a different size, space artfully around the planet, looking like a set of tiny pearls around a much bigger central gleaming pearl.
The four big moons were first sighted by Galileo in 1609, and they were named almost immediately Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. Since then more and more moons have been sighted; currently the number stands at 63 moons orbiting Jupiter.
Once I realized I had only been able to see four of the moons, I immediately wanted at stronger telescope.
And a warmer, less windy place to view such wonderful scenes.
It was around 42 degrees up there and the wind was blowing too.
My eyes were watering like crazy!
It was totally worth the discomfort though.
At age 56...I had FINALLY seen Jupiter's four largest moons for myself.
They are gorgeous.
Absolutely gorgeous.
God artistry: perfect pearl jewelry ornamenting the night sky.
