Hello from New Mexico. I hope everyone had a great week. Tomorrow there will be a celestial event happening, a Lunar Occultation of Venus. I’ve shot this event back in December 2015. Below are the images. It’s a daytime event that can be seen across north America and will occur in New Mexico on June 17, 2026 between 12:17 pm and 4:43 pm. Get your binoculars or long lenses and look for the crescent moon.
Weather permitting, I hope to get some good images and look forward to sharing them next week. Enjoy.
Greetings from San Cristobal. On the evening of June 21, the summer solstice, the planets Venus and Mars showed up with the crescent Moon anchored by the sunset clouds. The beauty of this world is just outside the door and perfectly poised for our viewing pleasure. Franz Kafka put it more eloquently than I did.
“You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still, and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.” Franz Kafka
Crescent Moon and Venus.
Zoom in on this second shot to see planet Mars on the upper left edge of the picture. I didn’t see it with my eyes or through the lens at first. It was a pleasant surprise when it magically appeared (pardon me) out of the blue.
Planets, Venus, Mars, and Crescent Moon.
Sometimes I poke my camera through a window, a window in a building that I’ve passed many times, and find a surprise before me. A broken window helped me access this scene in a gas station on US 285 in Colorado. It reminds me of the upright piano in my grandparent’s house where I lived growing up in Wales. Our upright piano was more ornate, with two candle holders on either side. I was always encouraged to tap on the keys. My grandparents were very tolerant. I never did learn to play the piano.
Piano room.
This week, just outside the back door, the daylilies are blooming. On the other side of the house, outside the front door, the Apache plume has filled out and glistens in the morning sun. Here’s a shot of the Apache Plume in the afternoon rain.
Daylily shot and edited on an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Looking outwards or looking inward, there’s plenty to discover. I find sitting still offers me a perspective that suits me well, plus I’m good at spending time doing absolutely nothing. Ask my wife!
I was up before dawn waiting for the waning moon to rise over the Sangre de Cristo (Rocky) Mountains east of our house. I spotted the two little stars first. If you expand the image you’ll see them. I’m sorry I didn’t look up their names. You’ll also see the “earthshine” on the moon.
Good morning waning moon, stars, and mountain, San Cristobal.
Two days later the waxing moon was setting over the plateau to the west of us accompanied by the crescent Venus. Venus is at its brightest right now. Soon she will set in the glare of the sun. Not to worry, she’ll be back in the eastern sky and will be joined by the moon before dawn. If you expand the image you’ll see that Venus is also in the crescent phase.
Good night waxing moon with Venus and clouds.
A couple of days ago I had a little time to pass waiting for an appointment so I made a quick circle around the San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. I spotted the shadow of the bell and made this image.
The iconic Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, NM.
I also caught this little scene from the west as the sunset warmed up the adobe and lit up the tower cross.
Saint Francis Church belfry tower.
I’ve made a similar photo of this scene before. It was almost a year ago. In this version I like the three simple arch shapes tying it together. Here are the other images from last January.
Shapes and shadows in the Village of Dixon, NM.
The weather here has been quite warm over the last couple of months and these buds on the aspen tree were tempted to bust out. They’re changing their mind this week as temperatures are destined to drop into the minus digits.
Aspen buds itching to bust forth.
I ran up to the hardware store in Questa this evening. It took me a little longer than planned, but I did take my camera and couldn’t resist pulling over to make an image of the light on the cottonwoods before the storm. The forecast is for snow in the next couple of days. I will wait and see!
Cottonwoods, Highway 522, Questa, NM
One oldie but goodie from 2008. I came across this image last week going through my files looking for images of Taos Mountain. I thought it worth sharing again. Prints are available.
Taos Mountain Cottonwoods, El Prado, NM
As always, have a great week, and thanks for looking. G
Venus and a waning crescent Moon rising over the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, northern New Mexico. I got out there early this morning, but only as far as the driveway. That’s as far as was needed. The silence was palpable save the crunching snow underfoot, and as is the case it got the coldest right before dawn and the frost built up thick on my tripod. The neighbor’s dog stirred up a couple of other hounds in the ‘hood. Happily, I was done by then and only had to walk a hundred feet to a steaming pot of tea, toast, and marmalade. Thanks for looking. G
Venus, Spica, Crescent Moon, Mercury, Taos Valley lights spread along the base of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, capped off with a slightly dense sunrise. This morning was a little colder than yesterday but I was prepared. Tea and a sandwich, thick gloves with figure tip access, and hand warmers. Yes! Then this view. I’m enjoying being the one on the road not in a hurry to get to work. New Mexico is in a two-week strict lockdown again. Not a problem. I’m ready to hibernate anyway. Thanks for looking. G
Mercury, Spica, Venus, Crescent Moon, Arcturus, Taos Mountain, and the Sangre de Cristo foothills. Mercury, last to rise, Spica at one o’clock, Venus next with her escort, the moon. Arcturus is out there in left field. It was a crisp cold clear morning that started on the deck at 4:30 am with a meteor fireball directly overhead that elicited a loud gasp from me. It came out of the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus, passed directly in front of Orion’s belt and beyond until it fizzled out in a smokey stream. Then, a 30-minute drive to the Rio Grande Gorge for this expansive view of the Taos Valley. I’m pulling out the hand warmers when I’m out there tomorrow morning. The crescent will be further east nearer to Mercury. Thanks for looking. G
Venus, Crescent Moon, over San Cristobal, NM. I was out on the deck three nights this week enjoying the Venus, Moon conjunction. Did you see it? The planet and moon were hidden, here in San Cristobal, earlier in the evening. When they ultimately emerged from the clouds I was suspended in time, until that is, a plane passed between the moon and my camera. You can make out the plane in the second image. Thanks for looking. G
Apple Tree, Crescent Moon, Venus. I was going to make a short drive out to somewhere this evening for a more majestic view incorporating a landscape. As I walked out to the car this delicate scene presented itself in the twilight. Venus and the moon through the branches of the apple tree in the garden. If it’s clear tomorrow evening there will probably be another image of this wonderful conjunction. Thanks for looking. G
Fajada Butte, Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico. I revisit images from time to time. Sometimes they speak to me differently than they first did. I shot this image ten years ago for a story on the celestial alignments that occur in Chaco Canyon. Looking at it now, I am reminded of the many nights I’ve spent in the canyon gazing on this scene in silence, solitude and gratitude. Making this image I was the only soul present except for, perhaps, the ancient spirits. Thanks for looking. G
Crescent Moon, Venus, sunset sky across the volcanic plateau this evening. I took a drive out south to sit and watch the Moon and Venus set. I did a about an hour sitting and watching from different locations, and of course, a few minutes photographing. Thanks for looking. G
