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Large Star/Planet?

Ogdred Weary

Ogdred Weary

Drag(on) Queen
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Messages
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I went into the garden a few minutes ago, so some time soon after 6AM and there was a very bright and large object in the sky, sunrise is a while ago but much of the sky is varying shades of blue, rather than black. The object is stationary and I cannot see any twinkling, in a different portion of the sky a single very bright star is noticeable but is much smaller and noticeably twinkling. For comparison, an aircraft of some sort happened to fly past and is transparently a plane - noise, several lights, some of the shape all visible.

I presume the static object is a star but is much larger and brighter than I've observed any star being? Or is it a planet - bigger, no twinkling? Needless to say I am an astronomical ignoramus. In the time it's taken me to come inside and type this the sky has lightened considerably and the object is no longer visible.
 
Where in the sky was the bright object? Was it in the east?
 
eburacum said:
Venus. You may also be able to see Sirius near the horizon. Congratulations! Venus is the brightest planet, and Sirius is the brightest star. It's nice to see them in the same part of the sky.
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I assumed it probably was, as many erroneous UFO sightings are attributed to Venus, seemingly I've never noticed it before.
 
Ogdred Weary said:
I assumed it probably was, as many erroneous UFO sightings are attributed to Venus, seemingly I've never noticed it before.
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Allow me to recommend Stellarium:

“Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.”

lt allows one to “plug in” one’s exact location, and establish exactly what one is seeing from that point on Earth. It can also “travel backward or forward in time”. Useful and interesting.

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
Allow me to recommend Stellarium:

“Stellarium is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope.”

lt allows one to “plug in” one’s exact location, and establish exactly what one is seeing from that point on Earth. It can also “travel backward or forward in time”. Useful and interesting.

maximus otter
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Nice one! Got a new set of binoculars only last week and will try that later.
 
maximus otter said:
Allow me to recommend Stellarium:

It can also “travel backward or forward in time”. Useful and interesting.

maximus otter
Click to expand...
Sometimes, I wonder if "we" are travelling/moving forwards, or maybe forwards could actually be travelling backwards - except we cannot perceive it?
 
Ogdred Weary said:
I went into the garden a few minutes ago, so some time soon after 6AM and there was a very bright and large object in the sky, sunrise is a while ago but much of the sky is varying shades of blue, rather than black. The object is stationary and I cannot see any twinkling, in a different portion of the sky a single very bright star is noticeable but is much smaller and noticeably twinkling. For comparison, an aircraft of some sort happened to fly past and is transparently a plane - noise, several lights, some of the shape all visible.

I presume the static object is a star but is much larger and brighter than I've observed any star being? Or is it a planet - bigger, no twinkling? Needless to say I am an astronomical ignoramus. In the time it's taken me to come inside and type this the sky has lightened considerably and the object is no longer visible.
Click to expand...

The twinking object was a star, the non-twinkling object was a planet.

Here you go, a very clear and concise (if somewhat dry!) explanation of why Stars twinkle but planets don’t:


Venus is indeed a bright morning object at the moment.
 
I like to go out about half an hour before sunrise occasionally to take pictures of the sky and sunrise and about a week ago noticed both Venus and Mars were clearly visible. Venus was approximately ESE and Mars WSW, about 30 degrees above the horizon (although my altitude estimates are not likely to be accurate). Venus was brilliant white and could still be seen for a short time after sunrise. Mars was a rather dull orange and quickly faded into the dawn sky.
 
Sid said:
Sometimes, I wonder if "we" are travelling/moving forwards, or maybe forwards could actually be travelling backwards - except we cannot perceive it?
Click to expand...
I believe I've mentioned this before, but we are all time travelers. We travel forward in time at an approximate rate of one day per day.
 
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