Late Winter Evening on the Deck

Though not yet spring, it seemed a spring evening in Pittsburgh today. As the sun set, I went out on my deck in 60-degree weather beneath a sky clear, save for scattered contrails. I spent time reading Tupelo Hassman’s Girlchild in the fading light, experiencing the luxury of an e-book reader in circumstances not conducive to reading a conventional volume.

I did look up from time to time to experience the stark beauty of trees not yet aware of spring as the sun was disappearing below the horizon. Looking up higher, I could recognize, despite my general astronomical ignorance, the convergence of Venus and Jupiter that I had learned about on the radio. The stars would appear even closer together in two days, but the fickle Pittsburgh sky could hardly be counted on to be as clear on Thursday as on Tuesday, so I ran inside for my camera and tripod.

I took a number of pictures, some using exposures as long as 8 seconds. My best efforts are below. Click on the images for a larger view.

Horizon from my second-story Mt. Lebanon deck

Venus (upper right) and Jupiter (lower left)