astrolicious

March 2012 was yes, astrolicious, and it has spilled over into April.  What do I mean?  Seeing Venus, Jupiter, and Mars all at once.  At first, Venus and Jupiter (relative to each other) were quite close—as in this photo from mid-March.  As March moved along, Jupiter sank below Venus and edged a little to the right.  Mars has been dutifully in the eastern sky while the other two planets were visible in the western sky.  (What would one expect from a planet named for war and soldierly, unless I have it backwards?)

The last time I witnessed such a heavenly display was when the Hale-Bopp comet passed by in 1997.  At the time, we lived in Nebraska, far away from city lights—and I was awestruck by its awesomeness.  (I know that that’s probably not the best use of the English language, but it fits.)

Anyway, night has fallen, and I want to see all three planets at once, because I don’t know when I’ll have this chance again.