... the crescent moon with Saturn just peeking from behind it...

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Red

"Go to Blue Alert!"
"Is that really necessary Sir? It will mean changing the bulb..."

Wow! Is that what it was? I noticed the bright 'star' next to the moon last night as I came home from climbing, couldn't take my eyes of it. I know absolutely nothing about the locations of heavenly bodies so I presumed it was a star! cheers, you've made my day [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

Hmmmmmmm
From Texas, Saturn was at least 3 degrees below the moon. Methinks your lair is somewhat closer to the North Sea. [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson

The clouds broke in central Ohio shortly before sunset yesterday. I could see Jupiter and Venus with the Moon in between before the sun even went down. So I snuck out of the house with a lawn chair and binocs. One by one the planets and brightest stars came out. I started up high with the binocs at Jupiter, then the Moon, Saturn, Mars, Venus, and optimistically I panned down and said, "And here's Mercury." And there it was! Just above the haze and clouds on the horizon.

I sat there until Mercury set into the haze. It was beautiful. It'll be 40 years or so until we get another 5 planet close grouping like this. So enjoy them over the next month. Has anyone seen the comet recently? I caught a view of it once last month.

I could have sat there all night.

I've never, ever, seen Mercury.

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"We want a few mad people now. See where the sane ones have landed us!" - George Bernard Shaw

I have... wasnt allowed to touch it though.

Sorry! [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

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N6MAA10816
Faber '62 ΔTX
Are you a Bright?

oh, i see you all have been commenting on the planet alignment dealamajig.

You probably have, and didn't know it. It gets fairly high and bright. I once found a casual observation I'd made twenty-five years ago where I thought I was looking at Venus. I checked the time frame, and it was actually Mercury.

If you can get a clear view to the west right after sunset, this next month will be a great chance to see Mercury.

When I saw Mercury for the first time back in 1991, I was surprised not only by how bright it was, but how high it got in the sky. My image had always been of a very small, dim spot just grazing the horizon after sunset. Blink and you'll miss it, I thought. But is was at least as bright as Mars or the brighter stars, and it was surprisingly high in the sky at that time.

So, during this alignment, you'll have such a great opportunity that you almost can't miss it. Unless you don't bother to look, that is.

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...And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped. --Sir Bedevere