The Moon, Venus and Mercury play in the sky – 22 & 24 May 2020
These last evenings, at sunset, the sky was enlightened by the beauty of the Moon, Venus and Mercury. We captured a few images of that unique show and are pleased to share them with...
Category: planets
The Moon meets Venus at its brightest: a cosmic wonder – 26 Apr. 2020
Yesterday’s evening, at sunset, the western sky offered a stunning show: a sharp Moon crescent met planet Venus, right now shining at its brightest. The legendary Aldebaran and the Pleiades joined the parade and...
The International Space Station joins the cosmic hug between Venus and the Pleiades – 3 Apr. 2020
While planet Venus and the Pleiades star cluster were at the best of their conjunction, the International Space Station had a very bright pass above Rome: here it is our image. I’m always amazed...
Venus and the Pleiades, a cosmic hug of rare beauty – images from 1 Apr. 2020
While waiting for the climax, the Venus & Pleaides conjunction is already a stunning sight up there. Here they are a few images from last evening, showing this celestial hug. Tomorrow, 3 Apr., the...
“Le Pleiadi abbracciano Venere”: uno splendido incontro celeste – 1/5 aprile 2020
Il pianeta Venere, l’astro più brillante di queste sere, transita tra le Pleiadi, il più celebre ammasso stellare del cielo, per una visione indimenticabile. Il Virtual Telescope Project vi mostra la spettacolare, rara congiunzione...
Vernal Equinox: the Jupiter-Mars conjunction welcomes the new season – 20 Mar. 2020
Today (exactly on 20 March 2020, at 03:50 UTC) our Sun, in its apparent motion along the Ecliptic, crossed the Celestial Equator from South to North: for this reason, we celebrate the Vernal Equinox....
The Moon, Jupiter, Mars and Saturn: a celestial meeting from my balcony – 19 Mar. 2020
The Moon made a nice meeting with planets Jupiter, Mars and Saturn, early today at dawn. I managed to capture the group from my balcony in Rome. I managed to wake up on time...
Cosmic Hug: Venus meets the Pleiades, online event – 3 Apr. 2020
Next April, after 8 years, planet Venus will shine among the stars of the Pleiades, one of the most beautiful star clusters out there. It will be a true “Cosmic Hug”, a superb show...
The 11 November 2019 Mercury transit : online observing session
Next 11 November 2019, the sky will offer us a truly spectacular and rare astronomical event: a transit of planet Mercury in front of the Sun. The Virtual Telescope will share it live, online:...
Mercury – Mars close conjunction: some thoughts and images (18 June 2019)
It is always great to see two planets sharing the same spot in the sky. A few days ago, just after sunset, it was possible to admire a Mercury – Mars close conjunction, with...
When the Moon, Mercury and Mars meet above Rome… the show is guaranteed! – 5 June 2019
These evenings, planet Mercury is back at sunset, peaking at magnitude -1 or so. The young Moon and Mars added their beauty last night, so I managed to capture a few images. With the...
Stunning pass of the International Space Station (ISS) above Rome – 30 Apr. 2019
The International Space Station (ISS) never fails to amaze us with its bright passes. Living in Rome, I’m lucky to have the opportunity to combine them with the unique skyline of the Eternal City...
A glipse of Mercury above Rome – 28 Feb. 2019
Looking for the elusive planet Mercury is always a rewarding experience. Here it is the innermost planet at sunset, hanging above Rome, beside the St. Peter’s Basilica. The last days of February and the...
Mars and Uranus: 12 Feb. 2019 conjunction – an image
On 12-13 Feb. 2019, planets Mars and Uranus had a nice conjunction. While Mars is visible by naked eye, Uranus requires a small binocular to be seen. Here it is an image we captured...
