Bright Lights in the Sky

[gracie]

Hi Everyone I am in Handsworth looking over towards the Hallamshire Hospital which I think is west and there is two very bright lights close together . They could be stars but they seem bigger than usual.They are not chinese lanterns so could anyone tell me what they are please ?.

[itsnevereasy]

Venus is the lower one, jupiter the other.

Look over your left shoulder, you should see an orange "star", that's Mars.

[FORE]

If in all seriousness they ARE stars, Venus is exceptionally bright in the west at the moment and Jupiter is not as bright but just to the left of it.

 

(Oops got pipped with that info - will have to learn to type with more than one finger!!)

[rubydazzler]

They're actually planets, gracie. In the West, Venus is the one that looks the brightest and biggest, Jupiter is the smaller one that is a bit yelowish in colour and over to the East, past Orion, Mars is bright red/orange. Spectacular, aren't they?

[FORE]

Iridium flare (satellite) due 20:19:53 45 deg up in the east

 

http://www.heavens-above.com/iridium.asp?Dur=1&Session=kebgfcjmeedalnojjolofaok

[rubydazzler]

Iridium flare (satellite) due 20:19:53 45 deg up in the east http://www.heavens-above.com/iridium.asp?Dur=1&Session=kebgfcjmeedalnojjolofaok

Where are we looking, over past Mars, or lower?

 

ETA: dint see owt

Edited March 11, 2012 by rubydazzler

[FORE]

Sorry, just been out to see - not the brightest!

 

was higher than mars but in east as opposed to SE(ish)

 

if you look at the link, there's a brighter one tomorrow 20:21:21 again in EAST ~48degs up.

[Gwyther]

And you will see Saturn rising about 21.45 onward in the Eastern sky. The Moon follows roughly around 23.15. Saturn can be observed above and just to the right of the Moon after 23.15 ish.

 

If anyone is interested you can download a fantastic site, just google Stallarium and follow the instructions, I can highly recommend it and its free !!

Edited March 11, 2012 by Gwyther

[rubydazzler]

And you will see Saturn rising about 21.45 onward in the Eastern sky. The Moon follows roughly around 23.15. Saturn can be observed above and just to the right of the Moon after 23.15 ish.

Thanks, will go out and observe, then I'll have seen 4 planets this month, missed Mercury though.

[HeadingNorth]

Hi Everyone I am in Handsworth looking over towards the Hallamshire Hospital which I think is west and there is two very bright lights close together . They could be stars but they seem bigger than usual.

 

Your eyes do not deceive you. At their brightest, as they just about are right now, both Venus and Jupiter are far brighter than any true star ever appears to be. (Barring a supernova, but there hasn't been one of those since 1603 so we'll pretend they don't exist. )