What is that funny wobbling star beside the moon?

best camera lens to photograph the moon image

timetwitch

Tonight, just beside the moon, there is something really bright. The last time my dad pointed something like that out, it was Jupiter. But tonight my family agrees, so I know its not just my eyes - whatever that bright thing is beside the moon, its wobbling! It isn't staying in one spot, or moving along a path. I thought it might be a satellite but I can't tell... What is it? It sort of look like its wobbling in one spot near the moon, like a skier behind a boat is the best I can describe it. Is it a UFO?

Answer
I was just taking photographs of the moon an hour or so ago and saw what you are talking it is Jupiter... I've seen it quite a few times and it has never looked like it has been moving in any way... Even through the lens of my camera... It might be something going on in the atmosphere where you are... If you want more info about it you can google it as star next to moon and it will come up with a good list about it...

How do you photograph stars and the moon with a digital camera?

flyddw

Using ONLY an automatic digital camera, what's the best way of taking pictures of astrological stuff? No telescopes or zoom lens beyond 135mm. I can place the camera on a tripod and take long exposures (< 10 seconds). Current camera: Sony DSC-F828, but the question is really aimed at ANY digital camera.

Answer
Open it up for the full 10 seconds. For that short a time, you will not need to track the stars with a motor drive.

Note that the full moon is MUCH brighter than even the brightest star, so a 10-sec exposure of the full moon will be overexposed. (You'll have to experiment to determine the exact exposure for the Moon; it depends on the sensitivity of the CCD inside the camera).

For stars, you will probably not get much at 10 seconds, unless you are at a very dark-sky site (rural area). But it's worth a shot.

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