Wednesday, October 27, 2010

The balloon returns

Tuesday was a crisp clear fall day. It's no surprise, then, that the balloonists took advantage of the calm evening to ply the skies. I hadn't seen this balloon for a month or so, but I noticed it off in the distance heading right for the house. I got the camera and tripod out, hoping it would fly right over me, but it veered off slightly to the west.

We see this balloon sailing over our house and the vineyard all summer long.

I noticed that a few of the pictures have that little white dot (just below and to the left of the basket) in them, each in a different place relative to the balloon. From what I can tell after doing some light research, it could be Mars. Three other planets, Mercury, Venus, and Saturn, are visible in the night sky now, but I don't think they're in the right position to be visible at this time of day. Of course, the object could be a satellite reflecting the setting sun.

I didn't notice it at all while I was taking the pictures.
at

9 comments:

  1. Mark27 October, 2010 10:01

    I am soooo lucky that my pounding migraine woke me up early enough to be the first to comment.
    Take that Martine!
    Although I got nothing funny to write.
    However, beautiful picture, as always.
    Your Friend, m.
    Oh wait! How about this? "On a clear day, you can see, um, Mars"?
    Too Gay? Not funny? I told you that I have a pounding migraine. Give me a break! m.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rick Bettencourt27 October, 2010 12:59

    I didn't notice it till you pointed it out. I was look at the string (or whatever) to the left - wondering what that was.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Evelyn27 October, 2010 14:26

    My DH has his head in the stars also, but not in the daytime.

    Glad you got here first, Mark but sorry about that headache.

    Our friend Marie brought us some stormy weather from Rouen yesterday, and we are thankful for the rain part!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ladybird27 October, 2010 16:40

    Mark, Hi! As they say: "The early bird gets the worm." Sorry though to hear that it took a headache to get you here first! :) Martine

    Walt, Couldn't it be the moon we see in the photo?

    ReplyDelete
  5. chm27 October, 2010 20:10

    Hi Evelyn,
    We've had torrential rains a few days ago here in the desert of SoCal. May be we'll get some wild flowers in the spring.

    Glad that Marie brought some rain for you from Normandy. Maybe it will be dry in Rouen for a change, LOL-MDR. Please give her my best regards as well as Lewis, since I am at it.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Evelyn27 October, 2010 22:05

    Merci bien CHM from Lewis et la Marie!
    Our son Dudley who lives in San Diego told us about the rain there, but I'm surprised that it happened to you as well.

    Il pleut ici comme la vache qui pisse;-)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Starman28 October, 2010 00:22

    I've been seeing a star (planet) in the sky at night, but I have no idea what it could be.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Emm28 October, 2010 03:42

    My guess for the small planet visible is Mercury. I think Mars is too far away by now. And Starman's bigger night-sky planet could be Jupiter.

    ReplyDelete
  9. wcs28 October, 2010 08:18

    mark, you crack me up!

    rick, the string is the French flag.

    evelyn, have a good time!

    martine, nope, definitely not the moon.

    starman, depends on when and where you see it.

    emm, could be. I'm not an astronomer (although, wouldn't that be fun!).

    ReplyDelete

Tell me what you think!