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05 Apr 10 - 02:12 PM (#2880112) Subject: BS: Venus and Mercury From: Penny S. These are together in the evening sky after sunset for the next few days, and worth a look if your skies are clear. Just before 8 pm BST, and similar times elsewhere, Venus becomes visible first. Then Mercury becomes visible to the right, at about a thumb's breadth at arm's length. At first, it easier to see with binoculars, but is bright enough as it sinks to be seen with naked eye. Apparently, only 1% of people have seen it. Penny |
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05 Apr 10 - 02:26 PM (#2880122) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: gnomad Can you advise what direction to look? (Roughly, of course) Please excuse if this is an imbecilic question, I dunno about these things. |
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05 Apr 10 - 02:33 PM (#2880128) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: Penny S. West - above and towards the equator from the position the sun went down. Quite a way up the sky - once its bright enough to see Venus you won't be able to miss it. There's nothing else as bright as either in that part of the sky at the time - except possibly planes - but they move a bit faster. Penny |
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05 Apr 10 - 03:24 PM (#2880164) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: open mike http://www.space.com/nightsky/ see this site for more info and interactive maps based on your location |
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06 Apr 10 - 02:20 AM (#2880470) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: Penny S. You might like to download the free planetarium program Stellarium. Penny |
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06 Apr 10 - 01:07 PM (#2880808) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: alanabit Thanks for those tips Penny. I have not seen Venus since last autumn, when I saw it in the East in the morning. There were so few unclouded nights this winter in Köln, that I probably would not have seen it anyway. I expect with the city lights I am unlikely to be able to spot Mercury, but I shall have a go. Last summer was a great time to observe Jupiter from here, but it seems to be disappearing from view. Apparently it will be available briefly for a short time early in the evening, so I shall look for it again tonight. That planet tracking site looks intersesting, so I shall be looking into that some more. I don't do science and mathematics, but it is nice to be able to look up at beautiful things and know some of their names! |
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06 Apr 10 - 02:54 PM (#2880867) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: GUEST,mauvepink Sorry about the blank post. I have no idea how that happens Later in the night you will also see a quite red Mars in the south west and a bright (though nowhere near as bright as Venus or Mercury) Saturn in the south. If you look at the place where the sun has set, in a line along to Venus, you will see Mercury clear enough as twilight increases much nearer the horizon. (I am sure there is no need to warn anyone NOT to use binoculars at all while the sun is up to try and get an early sighting of Mercury. However, I will make mention of it) Good luck and have fun! They do make a great sight :-) mp |
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07 Apr 10 - 12:56 AM (#2881158) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: Art Thieme It is tonight's APOD or Astronomy Picture of the Day. Go to their amazing website, and there they will be--as photographed from Spain. Art |
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07 Apr 10 - 01:02 AM (#2881160) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: Joe Offer As it was getting dark this evening (maybe ten minutes after sunset), Venus was about one (horizontal) hand's width above the Western horizon - looked almost due west to me. -Joe in Northern California- |
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07 Apr 10 - 10:23 PM (#2881838) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: Rowan And there was I, thinking of medicine when I should have been thinking of astronomy. Thanks for the astronomical heads up, Penny. Cheers, Rowan |
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08 Apr 10 - 04:39 AM (#2881940) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: GUEST,kendall We can't see the planets for the trees. |
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08 Apr 10 - 05:01 AM (#2881950) Subject: RE: BS: Venus and Mercury From: alanabit It's often a similar story here Kendall. However, I did get a good sight of Venus and Mercury the other night. Mars has been easy to spot for weeks now. It is very high and just to the left of Castor and Pollux. I had never seen Saturn before (knowingly at any rate) until two nights ago. I reckon it must have been that thing just below Leo and to the right of Acturus. It was nowhere near as bright as Acturus, which was disappointing, as my friends tell me it can be as bright as minus one. As my hands are not steady enough with binoculars and I am a bit clumsy with the telescope, I was not sure whether I was really seeing the rings or not. I will have another go on the next clear night. I will probably need some help from someone, who can handle a telescope a little more competently than I can! |