Friday June 19 was a special day for me. I’ve been watching Venus and Jupiter in the evenings as they have come closer to each other. They will be at an amazing 1/3˚ apart on June 30. Details of that coming event are in this previous post.
After Sunset at 9:30 pm
Weather and clouds play a big role in getting good views. The past week has been mediocre. I have viewed the pairing on three of the recent five evenings. I am trying to get a series of photographs that I can combine into a sequence to document the days leading up to the close pairing on the 30th. The view Friday evening was perfect. Plus, the new moon was nearby. Bonus points for me.
Jupiter upper left | Venus center | Moon bottom
Mid-afternoon at 4:30 pm
Friday was a beautiful clear day with low humidity. The…
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Our View From Iowa 
You can understand why early astronomers became alarmed by such events and attached earthly significance to them, especially since in the days before electricity the events were much more visible – probably even more so in locations like the Middle East with clearer skies.
And if you could predict them, you were powerful.