Naked Eye and the Sky

by fortmarinus

 

“मधु नक्तमुतोषसो मधुमत पार्थिवं रजः | मधु दयौरस्तु नः पिता || ” – Rig Veda I.90.7.

“Sweet be the night and sweet the dawns, sweet the terrestrial atmosphere; Sweet be our Father Heaven to us.”

 

Father Heaven in the quote above is ‘Dyauṣ Pitā’ in Sanskrit. The same deity called ‘Zeus Pater’ by the Greeks and ‘Iuppiter’ by the Romans.i When the ancients looked into the skies, they were so impressed by the planets that they associated the celestial bodies with their own gods.

Tonight, the gods have blessed us with clear skies and a celestial treat: The Moon, Jupiter, and Venus are clearly visible to the naked eye. The planets are particularly striking in an urban environment where light pollution obscures all but the brightest luminaries.

Unfortunately, these photos were taken without the benefit of a telescope.

 

I would like to think I caught an orbiting moon or two around Jupiter, but the peripheral dots are probably just artifacts from the camera, the digital zoom, and the shaking of the wind.

References:
  1. Dyauṣ Pitā and Jupiter are associated with the same Indo-European diety, but in Hindu astrology, the Planet Jupiter is identified with Bṛhaspati, Lord of Prayer. The planet is also associated with Marduk in Babylonian astrology. []