What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Summary:

What am I seeing?

What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn 14 Sep 2010 00:45

I live in NC and I'm seeing something super bright. I tried looking up the sky map. I'm wondering if it could be Antared. I don't know anything about astronomy. It is to the right of the moon and super low in the sky. Its gotta yellowish glow. What could it be?

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Moo (guest) 14 Sep 2010 00:50

If it's more orangeish than yellowish… well either way, that SHOULD be Antares.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:01

Is there anyway you could provide me a map of the sky for Nc tonight? It is a yellowish-orangish color. It is just really low.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Moo (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:03

No, I am not a stargazer. Would this help?

http://stardate.org/nightsky

They've got charts and stuff. Home page says Antares is in view tonight.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Moo (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:04

And, additionally? Please don't think this is Nibiru or an asteroid or other such 'DOOMSDAY!' object. Please. The sky is a beautiful thing. Admire it with love.

And I thought Nibiru was behind the sun at all times and/or invisible? =P

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

bikenbeer2000 14 Sep 2010 01:03

If it's to the right of the Moon tonight, it's Venus. It's already fairly low down at dusk in the western sky and it will be lost in the evening twilight in the next few weeks.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Moo (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:05

Ah, yeah. If it's to the right, it's Venus. If it's to the left, it's Antares.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:05

Would it still be visible now? It's 9:05 pm.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Moo (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:10

Uh, likely? I just went outside, living in South Texas, looked up at the moon, whilst still with some minor sunlight in the sky, and saw a 'bright object' to the left of the moon. For me, that's like Antares.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Moo (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:10

And, again. Laura, what are you digging for? Do you want me to just flat out say it's Nibiru to you? =P

I'm sure Astrogeek or any of our other astronomers will confirm it. But it's either Antares or Venus.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

bikenbeer2000 14 Sep 2010 01:11

As seen from Raleigh, Venus sets at 8.55 pm. From other parts of the state, the setting time will vary be a few minutes, but I should say it probably won't be visible from anywhere in NC by 9.05 pm.
Antares is about 7 moon-diameters to the left of the Moon. Venus was much farther to the right, but will have disappeared below the horizon by now.

Last edited on 14 Sep 2010 01:14 by bikenbeer2000 Show more

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:15

I'm about 45 minutes south of Raleigh. I tried going to sky-map.org, but I know nothing about astronomy. I have no idea what i could be looking at. It's definetely to the right of the moon and it's just sitting really low. I'm sorry this description is so vague. I just figured someone here could do some reasearch and help me. I thought I had wrangled my 2012 fear and over the past few days the Nibiru/Asteroid thing has come back full swing. ANy help or info is greatly apprecaited!!!1

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

bikenbeer2000 14 Sep 2010 01:17

As I said - it's Venus. Here is a sky chart: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance

Last edited on 14 Sep 2010 01:19 by bikenbeer2000 Show more

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Moo (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:19

Ah, well there you go Laura.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:20

Okay. I'm really sorry to have dragged it on. I just didn't know if it was, since you said it shouldn't be visible at 9:05. I wish this whole 2012 fear would just go away. I've read so many stories on here about people coming here that we terrified and in a few weeks the fear was gone. I've been coming here for months now, and I can not get rid of my fear. I'm going insane worrying about it!!

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:25

Hey, could it possibly be Saturn that I'm seeing?? On the September 10-11 map it shows it sitting very low to the right of the moon. Or would it be gone by now? I'm really sorry to ask so many questions.!!!!!!!

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

bikenbeer2000 14 Sep 2010 01:30

The brightness of the objects in the chart is exaggerated (as the notes say). Saturn really isn't all that bright and you would have difficulty finding it. In any case, it set at 8.09.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn 14 Sep 2010 01:35

Okay. I was just wondering. It was just sitting very low in the sky and was very bright. Thanks for the help! :) I hate being afraid of this stuff and worrying everytime I see something that I don't think looks normal!

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

bikenbeer2000 14 Sep 2010 01:42

Venus has been in the evening sky for months now, so I'm surprised you haven't noticed it before. It will be there again tomorrow. If you have a good pair of binoculars, you might be able to see that it looks like a tiny crescent moon. Rest assured that it's perfectly normal.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:46

Thank you!!!

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

(account deleted) 14 Sep 2010 01:50

Hi Laura,

I've been coming here for months now, and I can not get rid of my fear. I'm going insane worrying about it!!

Well, actually you're not going insane; you're coming here. And we're glad to help. I do have a suggestion, though: why not download Celestia, and play around with it? You'll be able to find out ahead of time what should be visible each night, and you can have fun looking for it.

It won't be long before you're the one who's telling frightened newcomers what's going on in the sky!

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"I was glad to be able to answer him promptly and with confidence. Without hesitation, I told him I didn't know." Mark Twain

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Astrogeek 14 Sep 2010 02:04

I like Stellarium too. In fact, for this kind of use, I think Stellarium is a bit better.

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"Do you ever think about things you do think about?" - Henry Drummond to Matthew Harrison Brady in Inherit the Wind

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

(account deleted) 14 Sep 2010 02:40

In fact, for this kind of use, I think Stellarium is a bit better.

Thinking it over, I agree: I'd recommend Stellarium, too.

So go for it, Laura!

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"I was glad to be able to answer him promptly and with confidence. Without hesitation, I told him I didn't know." Mark Twain

Last edited on 14 Sep 2010 02:43 by (account deleted) Show more

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

Moo (guest) 14 Sep 2010 01:18

I wouldn't worry about it being a rogue asteroid. If it was viewable like such, we'd have known about it a long, long time ago.

As for Nibiru… uh. If it was visible as such? You and I would probably be dead due to gravitational distortions. Amongst other things.

Relax, Laura. It's not some made-up doomsday object, that's for sure. Stop being afraid of the night sky! Hopefully an astronomer pops in soon to quell your fears.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

LauraLynn 14 Sep 2010 23:49

So, I'm outside looking at Venus. Will it go down like the moon or sun or will it just kinda fade until you can't see it?? Just thinking about what I saw last night.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

bikenbeer2000 15 Sep 2010 00:13

It moves like the Moon or Sun. Note its position in relation to a fixed object on the ground and it will move downwards and to the right. It will also tend to fade slightly because as it gets lower, its light has to penetrate a greater thickness of the atmosphere.

Re: What Planets Can Be Seen Tonight?

TheGreatJuju 15 Sep 2010 00:17

It will set in the west-southwest, unless it's moving into light pollution, in which case it will just fade along with most everything else.

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"They tell you, but do you believe it? If so, why?"

http://www.undeadrufus.com