Planets out tonight

Just driving home I noticed that hardly a star could be seen which is unusual, but there just South of East, is a full moon. Up and left a bit is a very bright er.. star, but it's red, compared to stars. I'd heard that Mars is going to be visible in the next few days so came in to look it up.

Yep - it is in the right place to be Mars and very easy to pick out.

So, looking round, theres two others, star coloured this time, almost in the other durection, maybe directly West. Making the same diagonal as the Moon and Mars and looking about the same distance apart.

A bit of research and it looks like these are Jupiter and Venus.
Does anyone know for sure?

Oh, I'm due to go out again in half an hour to pick up my duaghter - I shall have a shufty!

BEB

just saw a puff of green gas come from the side of mars...............

Sat in the middle of London at work and can't see a thing from where I am. I think Jupiter and Venus have been visible for a while now.

Andy

Download the amazing www.stellarium.org and you can see for yourself. A great fun site.

Geoff....stargazing dept

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 07/03/2012 21:53:27

Mars is at opposition in Leo just now, the two planets you observe are Jupiter and Venus. Venus reaches its greatest elongation on the 27 of March and the two planets you see are closer now than they will be until Venus occults Jupiter in 2065. (Jupiter is closer to the moon and Venus the brighter planet further out on the same diagonal)

Cheers

James

Tony

the chances of anything coming from Mars are 100 to 1 they say

but still they come.

Ooh I can hear Jeff Waynes music behind Richard Burtons voice in my mind already, that takes me back!

I hope it's good Geoff, it's a big download!

Hi Chris

In the west upto about 21:00 you have very bright Venus., Just above and slighlt to the south, dimmer Jupiter. You have correctly identified Mars, due South at Midnight and Saturn is now rising in the East at 22:00ish. All wonderful through a modest telescope.

Martyn

Very clear and bright!

BEB

Great thanks Martyn, so I did OK

Wow Geoff that stellarium looks great. I can see where I should now look for Saturn straight away. Shame it's right through the houses opposite at the moment. I guess it will be higher in the sky later on?

Mars has actually been around for a couple of weeks now - spotted it when the dog was taking me walkies!

If you have an Android phone I recommend Google Sky Map - great little program. You simply hold your phone up to the bit of sky you are looking at and you see all the stars, planets and constellations labelled. It's sort of a Stellarium in your pocket!

For anybody with an iPhone, I recommend the app 'Hidden Sky'.

It's perfect for finding where the planets are in the night sky, as well as the ISS and satellites.

Venus and Jupiter are very prominent in the western sky just after sunset and Jupiter looked very nice through my 6'' reflector yesterday evening. Four of its moons were clearly visible. Venus slightly lower and to the north is much brighter. Because of its magnitude of about -4 its very diffiicult to get a good view of it without a filter. If we finally get another clear night here in northern Germany I will try to get a look at Saturn and Mars. I may even get some flying in soon if the weather improves,

Chris, Have you seen the Jeff Wayne WotW Stage show?

If not I can highly recommend it. 'The following morning I hurried to the railway station to buy the paper'

Hi Olly yes I've seen that it exists, but can't get any family interested whatsoever

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 08/03/2012 08:42:54

Go on your own! I've seen it twice, and if I had spare funds would be going when it comes back to Manchester later this year! Apparently Richard Burton has a much smaller part now, last couple of times he put on a great show for a man who's been dead for the last 30 years.

[This posting has been removed]