Author Archives: Mike Lewinski

About Mike Lewinski

Timelapser, astrophotographer, Braver Angel Moderator, NOC Director, Off-gridder in Crestone, Colorado, USA (a Dark Sky certified community)

Venus with a Halo in the Evening; The Moon Occults Mars in the Morning – Feb 17-18, 2020 time lapses and photos

Venus with a half halo
Venus with a full halo
Venus with halo and Starlink satellites
Composite showing many Starlink overpasses (the parallel lines under Venus, save the one that crosses the other which is an airplane).
Venus with a halo and Zodiacal light at dusk
Feb 18, 2020 at 4:33am MST, shortly before the lunar occultation of Mars started. This photo was aired on Spectrum News in Austin, TX today.
Feb 18, 2020 at 5:54am, just after the occultation ended
The thin layer of clouds makes the period of occultation a little more interesting. I wish I’d started about 30-45 minutes earlier.

You will barely see Mars at the start, on bottom left of the moon, before it disappears.
This is a cell phone capture. Both of my cameras are left of center. I was worried the clouds would obscure Mars when the occultation ended.
I ran my usual time lapse until 4:00am MST when I got up to prepare for the occultation.
There were many jays in the time lapse at sunrise, possibly Pinyon jays.
See the jays sitting on the sage?
Lots of jays (pinyon jays?) at sunrise. One even landed on my camera.

Feb 14-15, 2020 photos and time lapses

Long lenticular cloud at dawn Feb 15, 2020
I went outside and noticed a very bright light over the mountains to the east. I immediately suspected it was an aircraft. By the time I had my camera setup, it had done a 90 degree turn and was passing overhead. I wish I’d gotten the whole turn. It appeared to have landing lights on. Feb 14, 2020
Crop/rotate for detail. Feb 14, 2020
Mud season brings… fractal ice in tire ruts, Feb 14, 2020
Feb 14, 2020
Feb 15, 2020
Feb 15, 2020
Stock tank, Feb 15, 2020
Stock tank, Feb 15, 2020