Astronomy / Space Brightest Star.

Burke

B
Last few nights i have gone out like 3 or 4 or 5 am and there is this light in the sky. Im looking and thinking, thats very bright. It looks so close aswell i was wondering if i was looking at sun reflecting off the ISS solar panels. Im going for my morning coffee, its like 7am and the sky is turning the light blue of day time and you can still see this thing. A cloud goes past and you can still see it even thru a cloud. Turns out its sirius and this picture totally doesnt do it any justice, what i see is brighter and unbeleivably looks perhaps even bigger. I cant beleive i have never noticed this thing before.

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Kitfox

Kitfox
I had a look at the stellar map I have on my phone at 0530 this morning (south of England location).

With the Moon just above the horizon, Venus is next to it but ahead. Jupiter is behind on the sunward side of the Moon, but still just below the horizon. Then there's Mercury and finally the Sun with Saturn right next to it.

This is all to the south east.

Sirius is below the horizon to the west (about 250 degrees on the compass).

I'd say that's Jupiter shortly after it's risen.
 

Burke

B
You know what it might be venus :) I asked google what the very bright star was and it gave that picture and said sirius i swear. But its from the sun newspaper and it might be venus. Explains why it looks so close i guess :)

Edit: the picture was taken from new york.
 
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Kitfox

Kitfox
Yeah, it would have been Venus on checking again. It was on the sunward side of the Moon yesterday and the day before.
 

Burke

B
What made me get all excited was that could stand directly under a white light street lamp and its still there. Skys are pretty poor in london really. I would own a telescope but there really isnt any point without some proper darkness.
 

umbabrahattasil

U
Burke said:
What made me get all excited was that could stand directly under a white light street lamp and its still there. Skys are pretty poor in london really. I would own a telescope but there really isnt any point without some proper darkness.
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Download one of many sky gazing apps for your phone. I use StarWalk. You can calibrate it by GPS or overlaying the real life moon image over it, and it will tell you exactly what you're looking at. You can even filter for constellations, satellites, ISS, all that.

It's a great app and tool and one of the only apps I even use on my phone.
 

Kitfox

Kitfox
Guess I'm lucky in some ways in being out in the country. Only get a bit of light pollution from Basingrad off to one side where I work. I can stand out in the field, wait for bit for all the stars to start appearing.

'Up there's Polaris. Down a bit and there's Alioth where in a thousand odd years will be where I keep a large collection of space ships. That bright one up and to the right slightly is, uhhh.... it's moving? Oh, it's the Dash-8 going to Southampton.'
 

Arry

Arry
It looks like the Morning Star. This brought hope and the end of the darkness, to our cave dwelling ancestors. Worshipped as a form of god and called Lucifer.

Venus, coming up before the sun.
 

Burke

B
I have been on the fence over it for years. If i get one it wont be cheap. There is a hatch that leads up to the roof of my block. Im not allowed up there :) I always liked to imagine i could put one on the roof, run a wire down thru my window and then view it on my screen/s
 

aRJay

aRJay
Burke said:
I have been on the fence over it for years. If i get one it wont be cheap. There is a hatch that leads up to the roof of my block. Im not allowed up there :) I always liked to imagine i could put one on the roof, run a wire down thru my window and then view it on my screen/s
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That would work, but don't forget to get a remotely operable cover for it something to keep the weather and pigeons off it, the downside is that it is warm on top of roofs so you would get some image stability issues.
 
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