Frigid Conjunction Show

The conjunction of a waning crescent moon and the -4.58 magnitude planet Venus on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 was a beautiful sight, but one could not enjoy it for long. Air temperature was -8 degrees F with -23 wind chill. Taking the above photos was particularly unpleasant as my bare fingers were rendered painfully numb within seconds of their exposure to the air. The top image was captured around 6:20 AM from Miller Road just north of Boyson Road in Hiawatha, Iowa. The middle and bottom images were photographed from Boyson Road, just west of Interstate 380 around 6:10 AM. The moon and Venus were situated around three degrees from one another in the SE predawn sky.