I have gone from 1423 to 2112 looking at the Western sky as seen from Hudson Valley, New York. I found that the alignment appears to happen WAAAAY more often than the article I read would have people believe.
I'm going to post more pictures. Remember, you can click on these to make them bigger.
For these, I told the program to make the moon to scale, so we can see when it is a crescent moon and when it isn't. I cannot decide which ones of these to count and which to dismiss as another kind of alignment. So, look these over and let me know which you would count. For my purposes, the alignment of August 8, 1423 is what I consider the benchmark. Here is that alignment, with the moon to scale:
Though it is interesting, in this picture, how Mars and Mercury and Saturn are also in apparent alignment, what I am most interested in is how Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon interact. So, that's what I am comparing everything else to.
Now, here's another, similar alignment, a scant 59 years later on August 15, 1482:
I am not sure this is a match.
Next up is another alignment, this one from September 23, 1626:
Things are a little off, but they are pretty close, and, to the naked eye with Jupiter and Venus at the correct size (they aren't to scale in these), it would be pretty hard to tell, I think. Opinions?
Okay, next is October 15, 1757:
This looked pretty close.
Next is November 25, 1794:
It looks very close to me. Thoughts?
Next is September 6, 1815:
The moon looks completely off kilter, to me, in this one, though, while moving through the sky (which the program only kinda-sorta replicates), it might look closer to the benchmark at one point or another throughout the night in question.
Next is November 1, 1864:
Looks like a match.
Next is September 28, 1946.
Jupiter seems way out of alignment, but it is close. Still, I crossed it off my list after tonight's session of looking at them. I just don't think it is. Close, but no cigar.
Next is November 21, 1960:
Venus and Jupiter appear closer together in this, and the crescent of the moon appears like more of a frown than in the benchmark. Still, I think it might be close enough. Thoughts?
Next is September 1, 1981:
I think this might be a match.
Next is December 1, 2008:
While it's sort of cute and funny that the sky made a frowny emoticon, I don't think this is an alignment.
I'm going to post more pictures. Remember, you can click on these to make them bigger.
For these, I told the program to make the moon to scale, so we can see when it is a crescent moon and when it isn't. I cannot decide which ones of these to count and which to dismiss as another kind of alignment. So, look these over and let me know which you would count. For my purposes, the alignment of August 8, 1423 is what I consider the benchmark. Here is that alignment, with the moon to scale:
Though it is interesting, in this picture, how Mars and Mercury and Saturn are also in apparent alignment, what I am most interested in is how Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon interact. So, that's what I am comparing everything else to.
Now, here's another, similar alignment, a scant 59 years later on August 15, 1482:
I am not sure this is a match.
Next up is another alignment, this one from September 23, 1626:
Things are a little off, but they are pretty close, and, to the naked eye with Jupiter and Venus at the correct size (they aren't to scale in these), it would be pretty hard to tell, I think. Opinions?
Okay, next is October 15, 1757:
This looked pretty close.
Next is November 25, 1794:
It looks very close to me. Thoughts?
Next is September 6, 1815:
The moon looks completely off kilter, to me, in this one, though, while moving through the sky (which the program only kinda-sorta replicates), it might look closer to the benchmark at one point or another throughout the night in question.
Next is November 1, 1864:
Looks like a match.
Next is September 28, 1946.
Jupiter seems way out of alignment, but it is close. Still, I crossed it off my list after tonight's session of looking at them. I just don't think it is. Close, but no cigar.
Next is November 21, 1960:
Venus and Jupiter appear closer together in this, and the crescent of the moon appears like more of a frown than in the benchmark. Still, I think it might be close enough. Thoughts?
Next is September 1, 1981:
I think this might be a match.
Next is December 1, 2008:
While it's sort of cute and funny that the sky made a frowny emoticon, I don't think this is an alignment.
