Any astronomy buffs?

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  • JeffG78
    Established Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 385
    • Northville, Michigan - a Detroit suburb
    • BT3100

    Any astronomy buffs?

    For months now I have been curious about what I see in the sky every night. Right now at 8pm EST it is in the west-southwest sky and is about 30 degrees off the horizon. It is many times brighter than most stars but similar in size from my vantage point. Tonight it is as bright as the moon. Is it another planet? Is it the International Space Station? I don't recall any stars ever being that bright, so I assume it isn't a star. Anybody?
  • RAFlorida
    Veteran Member
    • Apr 2008
    • 1179
    • Green Swamp in Central Florida. Gator property!
    • Ryobi BT3000

    #2
    That's Jupiter

    And just a little while ago the cressant moon was about 10 degrees from it.

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    • OpaDC
      Established Member
      • Feb 2008
      • 393
      • Pensacola, FL
      • Ridgid TS3650

      #3
      What you see is Venus. For a good planetarium software you might like to try Stellarium. It's free and good. My 6 year old Grandson loves it.
      _____________
      Opa

      second star to the right and straight on til morning

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      • Uncle Cracker
        The Full Monte
        • May 2007
        • 7091
        • Sunshine State
        • BT3000

        #4
        Venus (the bright one hanging under the crescent moon), Jupiter and Mercury were all visible to the naked eye just after sunset tonight in the same vicinity in the SW sky. Neptune was there too, but only visible through a scope.

        When I get to the bottom of this bottle of Patron, I'll be seeing even more stars...
        Last edited by Uncle Cracker; 12-31-2008, 08:23 PM.

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        • JeffG78
          Established Member
          • Jan 2007
          • 385
          • Northville, Michigan - a Detroit suburb
          • BT3100

          #5
          Cool. Is it closer to Earth now than in the past? I don't ever recall seeing it that bright. Thanks for the quick replies. I figured somebody would know. I am clueless about stars and such. I have never owned a telescope and I am lucky to find the big and little dippers. I can usually find the Moon

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          • Daryl
            Senior Member
            • May 2004
            • 831
            • .

            #6
            I like Heavens Above, set it up for your location and find the ISS passes and use the Whole Sky chart to find stars and planets.
            Sometimes the old man passed out and left the am radio on so I got to hear the oldie songs and current event kind of things

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            • Uncle Cracker
              The Full Monte
              • May 2007
              • 7091
              • Sunshine State
              • BT3000

              #7
              Originally posted by JeffG78
              Cool. Is it closer to Earth now than in the past? I don't ever recall seeing it that bright.
              Not necessarily. Sometimes a more optimal reflective orientation can make them seem brighter. Also, when low on the horizon, the view travels through more atmosphere, and can appear magnified. Works the same way for rising/setting sun and moon.

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              • Alex Franke
                Veteran Member
                • Feb 2007
                • 2641
                • Chapel Hill, NC
                • Ryobi BT3100

                #8
                Yeah, Venus seemed especially bright tonight.

                Occasionally (like earlier this month) you get another planet in there, too. Pretty cool, but really difficult to photograph without a tripod!
                online at http://www.theFrankes.com
                while ( !( succeed = try() ) ) ;
                "Life is short, Art long, Occasion sudden and dangerous, Experience deceitful, and Judgment difficult." -Hippocrates

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                • cabinetman
                  Gone but not Forgotten RIP
                  • Jun 2006
                  • 15218
                  • So. Florida
                  • Delta

                  #9
                  I have a telescope that was given to me. It isn't expensive I don't think, can hardly read the label...it says Habble, or Hibbel, or something like that. Anyway, since there is no great peeping in my neighborhood, I tried the sky at around 8:57 PM, but it could have been 8:59 PM, depending on which clock I check, and saw an extraordinary sight. It moved in the sky and had some extraneous protrusions. I was going to call 911 to report it until LOML came over and killed that little bugger dead.
                  .

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                  • JeffG78
                    Established Member
                    • Jan 2007
                    • 385
                    • Northville, Michigan - a Detroit suburb
                    • BT3100

                    #10
                    Originally posted by cabinetman
                    I have a telescope that was given to me. It isn't expensive I don't think, can hardly read the label...it says Habble, or Hibbel, or something like that. Anyway, since there is no great peeping in my neighborhood, I tried the sky at around 8:57 PM, but it could have been 8:59 PM, depending on which clock I check, and saw an extraordinary sight. It moved in the sky and had some extraneous protrusions. I was going to call 911 to report it until LOML came over and killed that little bugger dead.
                    .
                    Hmmm, it sounds like CM put away some bubbly as the ball dropped.

                    Comment

                    • LCHIEN
                      Internet Fact Checker
                      • Dec 2002
                      • 20914
                      • Katy, TX, USA.
                      • BT3000 vintage 1999

                      #11
                      Originally posted by cabinetman
                      I have a telescope that was given to me. It isn't expensive I don't think, can hardly read the label...it says Habble, or Hibbel, or something like that. Anyway, since there is no great peeping in my neighborhood, I tried the sky at around 8:57 PM, but it could have been 8:59 PM, depending on which clock I check, and saw an extraordinary sight. It moved in the sky and had some extraneous protrusions. I was going to call 911 to report it until LOML came over and killed that little bugger dead.
                      .
                      you have to look and see if it had antennae with little ping pong balls on the tips to be sure.
                      Loring in Katy, TX USA
                      If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
                      BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questions

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                      • Mr__Bill
                        Veteran Member
                        • May 2007
                        • 2096
                        • Tacoma, WA
                        • BT3000

                        #12
                        You may wish to look at spaceweather.com they send out e-mails of interesting events in the sky. For example I just received this:

                        FIRST METEORS OF 2009: The annual Quadrantid meteor shower peaks on Jan. 3rd when Earthenters a stream of debris from shattered comet 2003 EH1. The timing of the encounterfavors observers in western North America and across the Pacific Ocean who could seedozens to hundreds of meteors during the dark hours before sunrise this Saturday morning. Visit http://spaceweather.com for a sky map and more information.

                        Happy viewing,
                        Bill.

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