For several days Jupiter and Venus have been dancing around each other in the morning sky. This morning they were less than a degree apart.

I was out one hour earlier at 3:30am and saw an amazing fireball in the eastern horizon darting alongside Perseus. It is the peak of the Perseids after all.

Coming back out around 4:30am the show was in full swing with the planetary pair well above the houses in the neighbourhood.

This is a composite shot with Jupiter and Venus over a neighbour's hedge. The inset was shot a few minutes later with a longer lens to show all four Galilean moons around Jupiter.

Overview shot
Camera: Nikon Z5
Lens: Nikon Z 85/1.8
Sensor ISO: 800
Exposure: 1/6 second at f/5.6

Inset shot
Camera: Nikon Z5
Lens: Nikkor 300/4 with TC 1.4 Convertor equivalent 420mm
Sensor ISO: 800
Exposure: 1/4 second at f/5.6

Processing and composite using Adobe Photoshop 2025.