Which Celestial Object is It?

Llanzlan Klazmon The 15th wrote in alt.atheism

Elroy Willis wrote in
Llanzlan Klazmon The 15th wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote in

I just now looked up at the crescent moon and there's a bright shiny
star or planet right above it. Last night it was further away from
the moon than it is tonight at the same time, which is currently
9:45pm here in north Texas.

What is the object above the moon? Saturn? Jupiter? The space
station?

It can't be Mercury or Venus this late in the night, can it?

If you are seeing the moon as a crescent then it can't be too late to
see Venus - they are both setting at close to the same time right
now. It is certainly Venus you are seeing. Venus, the Moon and Mars
are all appear to be close together in the sky right now.

How does the moon appearing crescent-shaped relate to some location
or appearance of Venus? I'm not sure I understand what you're
saying...

When the Moon appears in the part of the sky near the inner planets it is
a crescent because its' ecliptic longitude is close to that of the Sun.
When the moon is full it is near the opposite side of the sky to where
that Sun and inner planets are located.

Ah, I understand it now. Thanks.

--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news

wrote in alt.atheism

wrote:
Llanzlan Klazmon The 15th wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote in

I just now looked up at the crescent moon and there's a bright shiny
star or planet right above it. Last night it was further away from
the moon than it is tonight at the same time, which is currently
9:45pm here in north Texas.

What is the object above the moon? Saturn? Jupiter? The space
station?

It can't be Mercury or Venus this late in the night, can it?

If you are seeing the moon as a crescent then it can't be too late to see
Venus - they are both setting at close to the same time right now. It is
certainly Venus you are seeing. Venus, the Moon and Mars are all appear
to be close together in the sky right now.

How does the moon appearing crescent-shaped relate to some location
or appearance of Venus? I'm not sure I understand what you're
saying...

Iirc, the moon would be crescent shaped any time you see it near Venus
because Venus is, as you point out, an inner planet. It should be a
fairly thin crescent too, I'd imagine. The only time the moon can be
near any inner planet in the sky is when the moon is - like them -
closer to the sun in our sky - i.e., on the daylight side of Earth,
i.e., close to its "new moon" phase.

C'est tout, merci. :-)

Je comprends maintenant! Mucho gracias!

--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news

johac wrote in alt.atheism

Elroy Willis wrote:

I just now looked up at the crescent moon and there's a bright shiny
star or planet right above it. Last night it was further away from
the moon than it is tonight at the same time, which is currently
9:45pm here in north Texas.

What is the object above the moon? Saturn? Jupiter? The space
station?

It can't be Mercury or Venus this late in the night, can it?

It probably is Venus:

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2...htm?list695125

Yep, I'm 100% sure it's Venus now. It's really bright up there, and
looks cool with the crescent moon near it. I'll see if I can spot
Mars and Saturn tonight if it's not cloudy.

--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news

John Popelish wrote in alt.atheism

Elroy Willis wrote:
John Popelish wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote:

I just now looked up at the crescent moon and there's a bright shiny
star or planet right above it. Last night it was further away from
the moon than it is tonight at the same time, which is currently
9:45pm here in north Texas.

What is the object above the moon? Saturn? Jupiter? The space
station?

It can't be Mercury or Venus this late in the night, can it?

I think it was Venus. But put your coordinates into this map program
and see what is in the sky over your head at any time.
http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/

Using the above program it looks like it was either Venus or Mars
to me. I didn't know Venus was visible so late at night since it's
an inner planet...

Remember that with daylight savings time, it is actually an hour
earlier than what the clock says. Here is roughly the geometry
involved:

O Venus








o Moon ,-.
O earth / \ Sun
\ /
"-"

Straight up from this Earth (up on the picture) would be about 6 PM (7
PM daylight savings time), roughly sunset. At that time, Venus can be
almost 45 degrees above the horizon.

Straight left would be 12 midnight (11 PM DST). By then, both the
crescent Moon and Venus should be below the horizon ( a line roughly
at right angles to the line going straight out from Earth. What time
did you see this sight?

9:45 PM from north Texas.

Mars is a pretty pink dot, but not nearly as impressive as the more
than half illuminated half Venus.

It's only half illuminated now? It sure is bright, despite the city
lights around here.

--
Elroy Willis
EAP Chief Editor and Newshound
http://web2.airmail.net/~elo/news

On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 16:26:19 +0000, Elroy Willis wrote:

John Popelish wrote in alt.atheism

Elroy Willis wrote:
John Popelish wrote in alt.atheism
Elroy Willis wrote:

I just now looked up at the crescent moon and there's a bright shiny
star or planet right above it. Last night it was further away from
the moon than it is tonight at the same time, which is currently
9:45pm here in north Texas.

What is the object above the moon? Saturn? Jupiter? The space
station?

It can't be Mercury or Venus this late in the night, can it?

I think it was Venus. But put your coordinates into this map program
and see what is in the sky over your head at any time.
http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/

Using the above program it looks like it was either Venus or Mars
to me. I didn't know Venus was visible so late at night since it's
an inner planet...

Remember that with daylight savings time, it is actually an hour
earlier than what the clock says. Here is roughly the geometry
involved:

O Venus








o Moon ,-.
O earth / \ Sun
\ /
"-"

Straight up from this Earth (up on the picture) would be about 6 PM (7
PM daylight savings time), roughly sunset. At that time, Venus can be
almost 45 degrees above the horizon.

Straight left would be 12 midnight (11 PM DST). By then, both the
crescent Moon and Venus should be below the horizon ( a line roughly
at right angles to the line going straight out from Earth. What time
did you see this sight?

9:45 PM from north Texas.

Mars is a pretty pink dot, but not nearly as impressive as the more
than half illuminated half Venus.

It's only half illuminated now? It sure is bright, despite the city
lights around here.

Venus is brighter towards the crescent phase. When fully illuminated it is
farther away and smaller, therefore not as bright.

As the crescent phase approaches the physical size of the planet in the
sky increases, and therefore more light reaches the observer. It's also in
the sky for a shorter period of time with the crescent and full phases
than during the quarter phase.

Crescent phase:
..........Venus
Earth..............Sun

Full phase:
..............................Venus
Earth...............Sun

Elroy Willis wrote in message . ..
John Popelish wrote in alt.atheism
(snip)
Mars is a pretty pink dot, but not nearly as impressive as the more
than half illuminated half Venus.

It's only half illuminated now? It sure is bright, despite the city
lights around here.

If you look at it with a good pair of field glasses you will see that
it is about a half circle. It is heading toward us, now, so every
night it is a bit bigger and a bit more of a crescent. Try finding it
in a clear blue daytime sky. You can see it if you know about where
to look. The shape is sometimes easier to see in the daytime, because
it is less dazzling.

--
John Popelish

"John Popelish" wrote in message
om...
Elroy Willis wrote in message
. ..
John Popelish wrote in alt.atheism
(snip)
Mars is a pretty pink dot, but not nearly as impressive as the more
than half illuminated half Venus.

It's only half illuminated now? It sure is bright, despite the city
lights around here.

If you look at it with a good pair of field glasses you will see that
it is about a half circle. It is heading toward us, now, so every
night it is a bit bigger and a bit more of a crescent. Try finding it
in a clear blue daytime sky. You can see it if you know about where
to look. The shape is sometimes easier to see in the daytime, because
it is less dazzling.


I've only seen it once in the day time. It was following a light airplane at
the time...
Or so it looked until I lined a building up with the light and saw it was
not moving.
I then watched the plane for a few seconds and could not find it again.

On Thu, 22 Apr 2004 22:48:10 -0400, Elroy Willis wrote:


I just now looked up at the crescent moon and there's a bright shiny star
or planet right above it. Last night it was further away from the moon
than it is tonight at the same time, which is currently 9:45pm here in
north Texas.

What is the object above the moon? Saturn? Jupiter? The space station?

It can't be Mercury or Venus this late in the night, can it?



Venus.

"johac" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Elroy Willis wrote:

I just now looked up at the crescent moon and there's a bright shiny
star or planet right above it. Last night it was further away from
the moon than it is tonight at the same time, which is currently
9:45pm here in north Texas.

What is the object above the moon? Saturn? Jupiter? The space
station?

It can't be Mercury or Venus this late in the night, can it?

It probably is Venus:


According to the Sky View Cafe (http://www.skyviewcafe.com/index.php)
the moon should have been almost setting at 9:45 on 2004-04-23
for Northern Texas. (I'm using Wylie, TX for the location. Wylie
has a latitude of 33 degrees 01 minutes and that is the northernmost
location
that I found for Texas.)
The whole sky moves from east to west. Mars was JUST ahead of the moon
(ie. it would set before the moon). Saturn was a bit above the moon so it
would appear HIGHER in the sky. I would say that Saturn is definitely what
you saw.
Tonight, (April 24) go out at around 9:00pm. Face south and then look
up and to your right (west). You will see in order sweeping from west to
east in
an arc across the sky::
Venus (lowest in the sky north of west. Venus will set first) (very bright)
Mars (Mars it will set after Venus, and is more north than Venus)
(fairly unimpressive red dot)
the moon (at 9:00pm the moon should be slightly north of west
and about 45 degrees above the horizon.
Saturn should be JUST above the moon. Very close to it. Maybe
so close that you can't see Saturn because the moon is too bright.
Jupiter. (facing south, Jupiter should be way above your head.
A little bit to the east (left) and a little bit south (down towards
the horizon) from exactly overhead.) Jupiter should be third
brightest thing in the sky after the moon, and Venus.

In article ,
"Scot McDermid" wrote:

"johac" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Elroy Willis wrote:

I just now looked up at the crescent moon and there's a bright shiny
star or planet right above it. Last night it was further away from
the moon than it is tonight at the same time, which is currently
9:45pm here in north Texas.

What is the object above the moon? Saturn? Jupiter? The space
station?

It can't be Mercury or Venus this late in the night, can it?

It probably is Venus:


According to the Sky View Cafe (http://www.skyviewcafe.com/index.php)
the moon should have been almost setting at 9:45 on 2004-04-23
for Northern Texas. (I'm using Wylie, TX for the location. Wylie
has a latitude of 33 degrees 01 minutes and that is the northernmost
location
that I found for Texas.)
The whole sky moves from east to west. Mars was JUST ahead of the moon
(ie. it would set before the moon). Saturn was a bit above the moon so it
would appear HIGHER in the sky. I would say that Saturn is definitely what
you saw.
Tonight, (April 24) go out at around 9:00pm. Face south and then look
up and to your right (west). You will see in order sweeping from west to
east in
an arc across the sky::
Venus (lowest in the sky north of west. Venus will set first) (very bright)
Mars (Mars it will set after Venus, and is more north than Venus)
(fairly unimpressive red dot)
the moon (at 9:00pm the moon should be slightly north of west
and about 45 degrees above the horizon.
Saturn should be JUST above the moon. Very close to it. Maybe
so close that you can't see Saturn because the moon is too bright.
Jupiter. (facing south, Jupiter should be way above your head.
A little bit to the east (left) and a little bit south (down towards
the horizon) from exactly overhead.) Jupiter should be third
brightest thing in the sky after the moon, and Venus.

I couldn't see a thing tonight because of the darn clouds.
--
John Hachmann aa #1782

"Men become civilized not in their willingness to believe, but in

proportion to their readiness to doubt." - H. L. Mencken