Calling all Astronomy Geeks

[zinfamous]

So for ~1 month, there has been a bright-ass planet--has to be a planet--hanging somewhat low in the southeastern sky.

I like in Northern California. Any of you guys know what this is? I assume it's Mars; I don't know a damn thing about planetary rotations and cycles.

I tried using the googles, but whenever I search for star maps or sky maps, I get driving directions to Alec Baldwin's house. WTF. Google failed me, or maybe I failed Google....

Help?

:beer:

 

[Brainonska511]

Bright - I'd say Jupiter or Venus (particularly if it is only visible around sunset and maybe an hour after).

 

[JJChicken]

i've been noticing this too. i think its venus

 

[Brainonska511]

My other thought would be if it is a star, Sirius since it is the winter after all and it is found in the southern sky.

Edit:
Looking at a January 2009 star chart, it looks like it would be Sirius since it is found in the Southeastern sky

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

http://podcast.miamisci.org/podcastmedia/SG0852M.m4v

Venus and Sirius are both out, but if it's really remarkably bright, it's probably Venus.
I only looked through a few of Jack Horkheimer's episodes just now though, so it might be something else?

http://www.jackstargazer.com/JHSG_DNLD.html

 

[zinfamous]

:thumsbup;

Yay ATOT!

I was actually thinking Venus, and I also forgot to ask for a nice site that where I could track this stuff. It seems I suck at the googles tonight

 

[speg]

Sirius.

Check out http://www.stellarium.org/

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
:thumsbup;

Yay ATOT!

I was actually thinking Venus, and I also forgot to ask for a nice site that where I could track this stuff. It seems I suck at the googles tonight

Google Earth

 

[Brainonska511]

I was looking at this: http://www.neave.com/planetarium/ (after looking through a few others first).

Sirius would be in the south east while Venus would appear in the south west.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: ironwing

Originally posted by: zinfamous
:thumsbup;

Yay ATOT!

I was actually thinking Venus, and I also forgot to ask for a nice site that where I could track this stuff. It seems I suck at the googles tonight

Google Earth

do they have a star filter now? last I checked it was all terrarian.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I was looking at this: http://www.neave.com/planetarium/ (after looking through a few others first).

Sirius would be in the south east while Venus would appear in the south west.

I'm guessing Venus as my GF swears our view is west. She claims she can see the Golden Gate bridge under it (living in Berkeley, SF is to our West). However, my awesome natural male sense of direction + triangulation with Google maps tells me that our back yard and view from back yard faces more east.

Therefore, I can only assume that it's Venus

 

[IronWing]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: ironwing

Originally posted by: zinfamous
:thumsbup;

Yay ATOT!

I was actually thinking Venus, and I also forgot to ask for a nice site that where I could track this stuff. It seems I suck at the googles tonight

Google Earth

do they have a star filter now? last I checked it was all terrarian.

Yeah, click the Saturn icon at the top of the page.

 

[zinfamous]

Oh damn, I didn't know the Dog Star was actually Sirius!

let's see....Grateful Dead wrote "Dog Star" song, Grateful dead from SF, therefore, this must be Sirius. And therefore I am looking southeast and am therefore correct! HAH!

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

It's not Venus, it's Jupiter.

Edit - actually it could be either, but Venus will only be visible for a couple of hours after sunset.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I was looking at this: http://www.neave.com/planetarium/ (after looking through a few others first).

Sirius would be in the south east while Venus would appear in the south west.

I'm guessing Venus as my GF swears our view is west. She claims she can see the Golden Gate bridge under it (living in Berkeley, SF is to our West). However, my awesome natural male sense of direction + triangulation with Google maps tells me that our back yard and view from back yard faces more east.

Therefore, I can only assume that it's Venus

You can't tell west from east? Where does the sun rise and where does it set?

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I was looking at this: http://www.neave.com/planetarium/ (after looking through a few others first).

Sirius would be in the south east while Venus would appear in the south west.

I'm guessing Venus as my GF swears our view is west. She claims she can see the Golden Gate bridge under it (living in Berkeley, SF is to our West). However, my awesome natural male sense of direction + triangulation with Google maps tells me that our back yard and view from back yard faces more east.

Therefore, I can only assume that it's Venus

You can't tell west from east? Where does the sun rise and where does it set?

Even if it is West, Jupiter is also visible in the western sky at the moment.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I was looking at this: http://www.neave.com/planetarium/ (after looking through a few others first).

Sirius would be in the south east while Venus would appear in the south west.

I'm guessing Venus as my GF swears our view is west. She claims she can see the Golden Gate bridge under it (living in Berkeley, SF is to our West). However, my awesome natural male sense of direction + triangulation with Google maps tells me that our back yard and view from back yard faces more east.

Therefore, I can only assume that it's Venus

You can't tell west from east? Where does the sun rise and where does it set?

Sun's not up right now, So I can't tell ya. I know it blinds me at certain times when driving down specific roads, but I've got too much ale in me to give you a pretty picture of which directions those should be.

Anyway, after much heady analysis, this is clearly the southwestern sky, and it must be Venus.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: GodlessAstronomer

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I was looking at this: http://www.neave.com/planetarium/ (after looking through a few others first).

Sirius would be in the south east while Venus would appear in the south west.

I'm guessing Venus as my GF swears our view is west. She claims she can see the Golden Gate bridge under it (living in Berkeley, SF is to our West). However, my awesome natural male sense of direction + triangulation with Google maps tells me that our back yard and view from back yard faces more east.

Therefore, I can only assume that it's Venus

You can't tell west from east? Where does the sun rise and where does it set?

Even if it is West, Jupiter is also visible in the western sky at the moment.

Jupiter isn't badass bright like Venus. Most people will overlook Jupiter and Mars and consider them to be other stars as they don't stand out THAT much, but Venus is the one that always gets noticed on here.

But yeah...

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I was looking at this: http://www.neave.com/planetarium/ (after looking through a few others first).

Sirius would be in the south east while Venus would appear in the south west.

I'm guessing Venus as my GF swears our view is west. She claims she can see the Golden Gate bridge under it (living in Berkeley, SF is to our West). However, my awesome natural male sense of direction + triangulation with Google maps tells me that our back yard and view from back yard faces more east.

Therefore, I can only assume that it's Venus

You can't tell west from east? Where does the sun rise and where does it set?

Sun's not up right now, So I can't tell ya. I know it blinds me at certain times when driving down specific roads, but I've got too much ale in me to give you a pretty picture of which directions those should be.

Anyway, after much heady analysis, this is clearly the southwestern sky, and it must be Venus.

Yeah but you don't know what windows get sun in the morning?

That's half of how I know which way to go... Sun rises in the east, sets in the west, it's in the south at noon (in most of the northern hemisphere), mountains are to the north (here anyways).

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
I was looking at this: http://www.neave.com/planetarium/ (after looking through a few others first).

Sirius would be in the south east while Venus would appear in the south west.

I'm guessing Venus as my GF swears our view is west. She claims she can see the Golden Gate bridge under it (living in Berkeley, SF is to our West). However, my awesome natural male sense of direction + triangulation with Google maps tells me that our back yard and view from back yard faces more east.

Therefore, I can only assume that it's Venus

You can't tell west from east? Where does the sun rise and where does it set?

Sun's not up right now, So I can't tell ya. I know it blinds me at certain times when driving down specific roads, but I've got too much ale in me to give you a pretty picture of which directions those should be.

Anyway, after much heady analysis, this is clearly the southwestern sky, and it must be Venus.

Yeah but you don't know what windows get sun in the morning?

That's half of how I know which way to go... Sun rises in the east, sets in the west, it's in the south at noon (in most of the northern hemisphere), mountains are to the north (here anyways).

good point.

Both bedroom and downstairs room (opposite sides) are pretty bright in the morning, but I'd say the warmest and brightest at that time is next to the computer, which is more east-facing.

:beer:

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
http://podcast.miamisci.org/podcastmedia/SG0852M.m4v

Venus and Sirius are both out, but if it's really remarkably bright, it's probably Venus.
I only looked through a few of Jack Horkheimer's episodes just now though, so it might be something else?

http://www.jackstargazer.com/JHSG_DNLD.html

OMG, I haven't seen him for years! I always called him the gay astronomer

 

[YOyoYOhowsDAjello]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: YOyoYOhowsDAjello
http://podcast.miamisci.org/podcastmedia/SG0852M.m4v

Venus and Sirius are both out, but if it's really remarkably bright, it's probably Venus.
I only looked through a few of Jack Horkheimer's episodes just now though, so it might be something else?

http://www.jackstargazer.com/JHSG_DNLD.html

OMG, I haven't seen him for years! I always called him the gay astronomer

He was always the last thing on before PBS went off the air for the night or I would have never known about him.

 

[Spacehead]

Yeah, Venus (& Uranus if you have a scope or binoculars) are right next to each other now in the SW evening sky.

Saturn is rising in the constellation Leo about the time Venus is setting.

Mercury, Mars & Jupiter all rise about the time the Sun rises.

 

[StevenYoo]

Originally posted by: Spacehead
Yeah, Venus (& Uranus if you have a scope or binoculars) are right next to each other now in the SW evening sky.

Saturn is rising in the constellation Leo about the time Venus is setting.

Mercury, Mars & Jupiter all rise about the time the Sun rises.

wow, I never thought you'd be a good person to ask regarding astronomy.

 

[Born2bwire]

Are you sure it isn't just a reflection of Uranus?