Alpha Centauri 2

Community => Recreation Commons => Destination: Alpha Centauri => Topic started by: Buster's Uncle on March 13, 2012, 05:16:32 PM

Title: Venus and Jupiter cuddling up in night sky
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 13, 2012, 05:16:32 PM

Quote

Venus and Jupiter cuddling up in night sky
By MARCIA DUNN | Associated Press


CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (AP) — It's not too late to catch the spectacular Venus and Jupiter show.

On Monday and Tuesday evenings, the planets will appear just 3 degrees apart in the western sky. The gap has been narrowing since last month.

The two planets are visible every night at twilight. Venus is brighter because of its relative closeness, compared with super-far-away Jupiter.

Even though the gap will widen, the planets will appear remarkably close all week and be easily visible the rest of this month. So says astronomer Tony Phillips, author of the spaceweather.com website. Grab a small telescope, and you can also catch Jupiter's four largest moons.

Astronomers consider it the best evening tag-up of Venus and Jupiter in years. In July, early-risers will be treated to a similar spectacle, in the eastern sky at daybreak. Phillips says throw in the crescent moon, and it "will be worth waking up for."

http://news.yahoo.com/venus-jupiter-cuddling-night-sky-183559060.html (http://news.yahoo.com/venus-jupiter-cuddling-night-sky-183559060.html)

Title: Re: Venus and Jupiter cuddling up in night sky
Post by: Unorthodox on March 13, 2012, 05:19:08 PM

Yeah, we got Mars out and visible too.  Coupled with unseasonably warm temps and I'm thinking of digging out my telescope and bemoaning the fact I never got the camera adapter. 

Title: Re: Venus and Jupiter cuddling up in night sky
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 13, 2012, 05:36:28 PM

Yeah, it's not much of a news story, but definitely worth it to let people know to go out and look...

Title: Re: Venus and Jupiter cuddling up in night sky
Post by: Unorthodox on March 13, 2012, 05:42:26 PM

I do have a TV adapter for the telescope though.  I'm hesitant to break out my TV setup, though.  Last time it ended up a big party at our place after dark and some kid fell and broke his arm.  Lawsuit waiting to happen if it happens to the wrong kid. 

Title: Re: Venus and Jupiter cuddling up in night sky
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 13, 2012, 05:46:26 PM

Still, you've got the one thing I envy about y'all as lives in the arid wastes of the west - good seeing.  Here among the mountains and the trees is a good place to live, but the seeing sucks.

Title: Re: Venus and Jupiter cuddling up in night sky
Post by: Unorthodox on March 13, 2012, 05:51:49 PM

Sadly, not really. 

Our little valley traps pollution pretty bad and makes for plain awful light pollution.  Summertime it's relatively good, but winter sucks.  Unfortunately, Winter is when the best things to look at are out. 

Now, if I was in southern or central utah, or even Western.  But here along the Wasatch front, it's just like a mini-california.  Pollution and people.

Title: Re: Venus and Jupiter cuddling up in night sky
Post by: Buster's Uncle on March 13, 2012, 05:54:56 PM

I wouldn't mind living a few miles further from town myself.   I still bet you at least have more sky to look at there - I love living among the trees and the hills, but not so much at night.