Astronomy

[Bogey]

This is what I've been seeing in the early evening the past few nights.

Kids and I went out a few times to check these two....awesome.

[DavidW]

Jupiter and Venus were easy to see over.  Anyone with an iphone/ipod/ipad check out the skysafari app to help your stargazing (unless you're a pro).

[Opus106]

(unless you're a pro).

I'd say an 'am', rather. I somehow guess that amateur astronomers know their way around the sky better than most professionals do.

Just went outside and saw the duo; lovely sight. Not as lovely as the ever-beautiful third/fourth-day crescent and Venus, but for a relatively rare event, it was wonderful to watch.

[Szykneij]

I don't have a good view of the east from my house. Too many obstructions. I think I might take a walk tonight after dark and try to check out Mars.

[DavidW]

My students got excited about stargazing with smartphone app... and one hunted down one that shows you the names by simply pointing your phone in that direction... very cool.

[mahler10th]

My students got excited about stargazing with smartphone app... and one hunted down one that shows you the names by simply pointing your phone in that direction... very cool.

Yes, I have seen that.  Thats the end of star charts.   

[DavidW]

Yes, I have seen that.  Thats the end of star charts.   

With gps devices and smartphones acting as such we're also at the end of people being able to read maps!

[owlice]

Cloudy skies? Go here and feast your eyes, and when you're done there, go here and feast some more!

Jupiter and Venus are in the west, and very obvious after the sun has set. When they are on/have sunk below the horizon, Mars is high, eastern and not overhead, but should be in the clear until you're standing in the woods, and it's easy to spot with its noticeably golden/orange color. It's just past opposition, so is also quite bright (but not nearly so bright as Venus and Jupiter).

[Opus106]

Jupiter and Venus are in the west
And very obvious after the sun has set
When they are on
Or have sunk below the horizon
Mars is high, eastern and not overhead

That's how I (involuntarily) read your post.

[Wanderer]

We've had a cloudy (and cold) week here, but whenever the sky has been clear, I've been observing the celestial pas de deux between Venus and Jupiter (briefly a pas de trois, with Mercury joining the party) with much interest. Earlier in the month, the waxing moon was also a nice addition to the Venus/Jupiter duo, but now it's even better as the planets are in their closest and not antagonized by Selene's glare.
Last week, I even tracked a bright ISS traversing the Athenian early evening sky, in its trajectory almost colliding with Sirius.
Mars (in its brightest) - as already noted -  and Saturn are also visible; for those staying up late, there's also a nice chance to juxtapose Mars (Ares) with Scorpio's Antares rising in the east (with the addition of a beautiful waning moon). Yes, it's been a good month. 

[owlice]

Jupiter and Venus are in the west
And very obvious after the sun has set
When they are on
Or have sunk below the horizon
Mars is high, eastern and not overhead

That's how I (involuntarily) read your post.

Navneeth!! Oh, that's funny! Thanks for that; what a.... well, hoot! 

Wanderer, a good month indeed for observing! We had clouds last night and likely will again tonight, but the rest of the month has been mostly clear and lovely.

[Bogey]

Our family is at the very bottom rung of the amateur level....but we still love looking up and being totally mesmerized by whar we see.  Keep posting with hints here, folks.  They'll be read at our end.

[Opus106]

[W]e love looking up and being totally mesmerized by whar we see.  Keep posting with hints here, folks.  They'll be read at our end.

That's very nice to hear, Bill. May I suggest satellite tracking, which I'm sure will add a little more excitement since it involves easily spotted, bright objects on the move occasionally containing humans inside, hundreds of kilometres above the Earth. The ISS is the easiest to see since the pass usually lasts for minutes at a time, and almost spans from one horizon to another. And in the past few years, thanks to the addition of the last modules and solar panels, has been surpassing Venus in brightness sometimes.

Just enter you co-ordinates at Heavens Above and look out for daily and list of weekly passes. The more accurate your location, the better, since in some cases (esp. Iridum flares) a difference of a couple of 100m could mean the difference a "meh" and a "woah!".

Navneeth!! Oh, that's funny! Thanks for that; what a.... well, hoot! 

Speaking of hoots, our house was visited by a barn owl (or what looked like one) today! That's the first time I've seen one out in the "wild" (a concrete jungle is also wild, isn't it?). The resident avian overlords (crows) made sure it felt unwelcome and drove it away, one of them even colliding with it mid-air during the chase.

[Kontrapunctus]

I bought a 10-inch Orion telescope last year, but my neighborhood has too much light pollution to really put it through its paces. One of these days I'll haul it up to the mountains where it's darker and above the air pollution line.  I now wish I had bought one with some sort of guidance system--trying to find deep space objects by hand is a pain!

[Szykneij]

Speaking of hoots, our house was visited by a barn owl (or what looked like one) today! That's the first time I've seen one out in the "wild" (a concrete jungle is also wild, isn't it?).

oh ... oh, Navneeth. Stars, planets, space travelers, owl outside your window. Sounds like a fourth kind encounter to me. You haven't visited Alaska lately, have you?

[Bogey]

I bought a 10-inch Orion telescope last year, but my neighborhood has too much light pollution to really put it through its paces. One of these days I'll haul it up to the mountains where it's darker and above the air pollution line.  I now wish I had bought one with some sort of guidance system--trying to find deep space objects by hand is a pain!

Which mountains are near?

That's very nice to hear, Bill. May I suggest satellite tracking, which I'm sure will add a little more excitement since it involves easily spotted, bright objects on the move occasionally containing humans inside, hundreds of kilometres above the Earth. The ISS is the easiest to see since the pass usually lasts for minutes at a time, and almost spans from one horizon to another. And in the past few years, thanks to the addition of the last modules and solar panels, has been surpassing Venus in brightness sometimes.

Just enter you co-ordinates at Heavens Above and look out for daily and list of weekly passes. The more accurate your location, the better, since in some cases (esp. Iridum flares) a difference of a couple of 100m could mean the difference a "meh" and a "woah!".

I will have our lad do this.  Sounds like a perfect task for him....thanks!

[Opus106]

I bought a 10-inch Orion telescope last year, but my neighborhood has too much light pollution to really put it through its paces. One of these days I'll haul it up to the mountains where it's darker and above the air pollution line.  I now wish I had bought one with some sort of guidance system--trying to find deep space objects by hand is a pain!

Congrats on the purchase. If you ask me, finding these things by hand is half the fun of observational astronomy. I still remember the first time when out of the darkness, the Orion Nebula popped into view.

oh ... oh, Navneeth. Stars, planets, space travelers, owl outside your window. Sounds like a fourth kind encounter to me. You haven't visited Alaska lately, have you?

No, I haven't.

[Kontrapunctus]

Which mountains are near?

The Sierras in Northern CA. "Near" as in about 120 miles!

[Opus106]

How close do you live to a Star Party, Bill? There's a new Supernova (very likely) in town!

[Opus106]

Blinding Mars! [From SpaceWeather ]