What planets are visible this evening?

shedweller · 19-02-2015 7:58pm #1

Thought it might be a good thread for anyone wondering what planet they are looking at.

To start things off, have a look in the west.
Venus and mars are close to each other and look pretty good in the evening sky.

Carawaystick · 20-02-2015 12:08am

Jupiter is left of Orion, and of course there's the blue planet, visible every day...
so thats half of em...

greedygoblin · 20-02-2015 7:33pm

There's an impressive looking crescent moon near Venus this evening. And at around 7:15 pm the ISS will be passing nearby also.

shedweller · 20-02-2015 7:47pm

The moon just might be visible low on the horizon. Very thin crescent.

Edit. Good man greedygoblin. Way ahead!
Edit2: the moon will be above venus and mars tomorrow evening and the crescent will be thicker. Clear skies!

HobbyMan · 20-02-2015 8:02pm

Is that the ISS just below Venus?

greedygoblin · 20-02-2015 8:45pm

HobbyMan wrote: »

Is that the ISS just below Venus?

No. Venus is the bright looking "star" above and to the left of the moon. And just a little bit above Venus is Mars.

The ISS moved rapidy across the sky between 7:16 and 7:22 to the right of the moon. It will be visible again tomorrow evening between 8:01 and 8:03 pm, but much lower in the sky.

HobbyMan · 20-02-2015 9:30pm

greedygoblin wrote: »

No. Venus is the bright looking "star" above and to the left of the moon. And just a little bit above Venus is Mars.

The ISS moved rapidy across the sky between 7:16 and 7:22 to the right of the moon. It will be visible again tomorrow evening between 8:01 and 8:03 pm, but much lower in the sky.

Yes, I saw Venus and Mars but there was also a fairly bright star below Venus. Do you know the name of that star?

greedygoblin · 20-02-2015 10:34pm

HobbyMan wrote: »

Yes, I saw Venus and Mars but there was also a fairly bright star below Venus. Do you know the name of that star?

Can't say I saw it Hobbyman. Had a look at Google Sky Maps there and the closest star I see is Diphda in the constellation of Cetus.

If you download that or Stellarium, you can use the time travel feature to look at the sky as it was around the time you were looking up.

HobbyMan · 20-02-2015 11:49pm

greedygoblin wrote: »

Can't say I saw it Hobbyman. Had a look at Google Sky Maps there and the closest star I see is Diphda in the constellation of Cetus.

If you download that or Stellarium, you can use the time travel feature to look at the sky as it was around the time you were looking up.

That's a strange one. I just looked on Stellarium and couldn't see anything under Venus at +- 7pm. Yet I did see a brightish 'star' hence my asking in the above post if its the ISS.

Maybe it was a satellite? It didn't seem to be moving. Will check again tomorrow.

greedygoblin · 21-02-2015 1:42am

I did a bit of digging HobbyMan, and I came up with the following:

At 19:08ish Ajisai (EGS) passed essentially through Venus, travelling from right to left.
Around much the same time, NOAA 15 travelled from left to right beneath Venus, skimming the underside of the moon.

Possible candidates!

greedygoblin · 21-02-2015 1:57am

This one is probably more for the night-owls, but Saturn should be visible later tonight. It's due to rise in the south-eastern sky around 3am.

shedweller · 21-02-2015 2:02am

greedygoblin wrote: »

This one is probably more for the night-owls, but Saturn should be visible later tonight. It's due to rise in the south-eastern sky around 3am.

That'll be me! Damn night shift..

HobbyMan · 21-02-2015 4:16am

shedweller wrote: »

That'll be me! Damn night shift..

And me. Damn kids!

shedweller · 21-02-2015 7:05pm

Venus is visible there now if anyone has a strong telescope they will get a nice view of it. The moon is also looking well and would be a nice thing for your kids to look at through binos etc.
Mars should become visible later too. The reddish colour was very apparent the other night as well.

Bongalongherb · 21-02-2015 8:07pm

I just took a recording using a video camera there. A bit low down for the telescope as the bushes are in the way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGjD2mxwOW4

shedweller · 21-02-2015 8:51pm

Nice video. I think the bushes add something to the shot. Very atmospheric!

ZeRoY · 22-02-2015 1:40am

A shot from earlier, was a great conjunction, missed the ISS somewhat, bad timing...

Bongalongherb · 22-02-2015 1:55am

An excellent shot you got there. Very nice indeed.

Knifey Spoony · 24-02-2015 7:34am

If anyone is up now, Saturn is visible as a pale yellow point directly to the South.

HobbyMan · 26-02-2015 9:45pm

Venus and Mars were definitely closer to the earth this evening. You could easily see Mars, and its red colour, with the naked eye this evening.

Would like to go out and look at the stars now but the cloud is back again.

Maximus Alexander · 26-02-2015 10:23pm

You can always see Mars and its red colour with the naked eye, as long as it's above the horizon and not obscured by the sun or clouds.

HobbyMan · 26-02-2015 11:41pm

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

You can always see Mars and its red colour with the naked eye, as long as it's above the horizon and not obscured by the sun or clouds.

It was fairly difficult to see night before last. My wife didn't see it unless she used binoculars. Maybe visibility was just bad that night.

Maximus Alexander · 27-02-2015 12:20am

HobbyMan wrote: »

It was fairly difficult to see night before last. My wife didn't see it unless she used binoculars. Maybe visibility was just bad that night.

Mars should be naked eye visible even at its dimmest and under urban light pollution. Was there some light cloud maybe?

shedweller · 27-02-2015 2:35am

Maximus Alexander wrote: »

Mars should be naked eye visible even at its dimmest and under urban light pollution. Was there some light cloud maybe?

Patchy cloud cover alright. Still looked good though. I would sell my right arm for a large scope now!

shedweller · 23-03-2015 10:47pm

If anyone has binos or a telescope, get yourselves outside! The moon looks fantastic and the dark side is bright enough to barely make out larger details. Venus is more or less set now in the west although i could just make out its oblong shape earlier. Jupiter is quite high up now so is showing nicely. Its getting a bit bright for looking at andromeda in the north west due to moonlight and it is low too so atmospheric shtuff is going on, making it hard to make out anything.
My kids were with me also and learning a bit about right ascension and declination.
(As much as i could teach them anyway..!!)
They really enjoyed getting up close to the moon too and were fascinated at the gaps in the large crater walls.
All in all a lovely evening.

ThunderCat · 24-03-2015 11:59am

shedweller wrote: »

If anyone has binos or a telescope, get yourselves outside! The moon looks fantastic and the dark side is bright enough to barely make out larger details. Venus is more or less set now in the west although i could just make out its oblong shape earlier. Jupiter is quite high up now so is showing nicely. Its getting a bit bright for looking at andromeda in the north west due to moonlight and it is low too so atmospheric shtuff is going on, making it hard to make out anything.
My kids were with me also and learning a bit about right ascension and declination.
(As much as i could teach them anyway..!!)
They really enjoyed getting up close to the moon too and were fascinated at the gaps in the large crater walls.
All in all a lovely evening.

Yea it was a lovely evening for it. I was looking at the moon with the 15x70's but the highlight for me was the Beehive Cluster just to the right of Jupiter.

hidinginthebush · 24-03-2015 12:09pm

I've been out the past few nights, after only starting with a telescope in the new year. Jupiter is always a favourite, I never fail to be impressed by it. Had a look a Venus for the first time on Sunday, I was very underwhelmed by it sadly. Understandable as it's not a gas giant.
From where I'm based I never seem to be able to get Andromeda, it's due West from me, but so low, and obscured by city lights that I haven't been able to get a look at it yet.

coylemj · 24-03-2015 1:31pm

hidinginthebush wrote: »

Had a look a Venus for the first time on Sunday, I was very underwhelmed by it sadly. Understandable as it's not a gas giant.

Understandable? By who? It's not a gas giant but it's covered in clouds, it goes through phases and it's the brightest object in the sky after the Sun and the Moon. What exactly were you expecting?

Thargor · 24-03-2015 2:35pm

I was thinking the dark side of the moon looked very "bright" the last couple of nights myself, it had a very 3D spherical look to it yesterday evening.

hidinginthebush · 24-03-2015 2:54pm

Well understandable by me in the sense that with Jupiter you can see the different colour bands, and moons. TBH I wasn't expecting a huge amount from it, I was really looking at it as it was early enough in the night but still very bright in the sky. I'll spend a bit more time on it when it's up, because, in my own experience, the more time you spend gazing at objects the better and more interesting they become.

coylemj · 24-03-2015 4:57pm

Thargor wrote: »

I was thinking the dark side of the moon looked very "bright" the last couple of nights myself, it had a very 3D spherical look to it yesterday evening.

The air must have been very clear the other night (Mar 22nd) in Dublin because even with a streetlight almost in the same direction, I could clearly see the dark side of the moon with the naked eye.

It helps that at the time of the Spring Equinox, the Ecliptic describes a steep angle to the horizon in the evening so angular separation from the Sun converts to good elevation above the horizon - very useful when it comes to observing the crescent Moon and Venus.

What planets are visible this evening?

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