Huge Star. Question @ Stargazers

Hello guys!

Sry I can't search Properly ATM, but we're driving down the M25 (Ring-Motorway round London, UK) and there is a very bright star(?) to the east. It is so bright, that I actually thought it was a plane, but it isn't moving (and hasn't been for over an hour).

I can't search the net (even the best technology can't run on a low battery) and due to the fact, that we can stilll see it, hopefully somebody is on, who can Identify it!
If nobody can, then please just close the thread

It is to the east of London, I'ld guess around about 30 degrees (maybe a bit more) off the horizon and over 10 times brighter then any other star in the sky!
So, what is it?? (Stars aren't THAT bright )

Cheers for your help!

Sammy

reply to post by Aldolas


Exact time of sighting? Need that info, too.

reply to post by Aldolas


It is probably venus. Not a bad question though. It does move through the night sky faster than stars but don't panic. Most likely NOT a ufo. Then again I have been wrong before.

Assuming you saw this just recently prior to your post, both Saturn and Venus should be visable at this moment towards the east. So it could be one of those.

[edit on 22-9-2007 by jra]

Originally posted by Aldolas
Hello guys!

Sry I can't search Properly ATM, but we're driving down the M25 (Ring-Motorway round London, UK) and there is a very bright star(?) to the east. It is so bright, that I actually thought it was a plane, but it isn't moving (and hasn't been for over an hour).

I can't search the net (even the best technology can't run on a low battery) and due to the fact, that we can stilll see it, hopefully somebody is on, who can Identify it!
If nobody can, then please just close the thread

It is to the east of London, I'ld guess around about 30 degrees (maybe a bit more) off the horizon and over 10 times brighter then any other star in the sky!
So, what is it?? (Stars aren't THAT bright

)

Cheers for your help!

Sammy

Hi Sammy!

You saw the planet Venus. I've been getting up early to observe it recently. The reason it looks so weird is that its very very bright and low down, it's also only only about 30% or so illuminated by the end of the month. As Venus moves away from us the phase will increase (just like the phase of the Moon increases from cresent to half to full etc) and Venus will get dimmer, pass behind the sun then emerge in the evening sky.

Regards,

-Paul.

I agree it is Venus. I live in the Netherlands and I'm able to see it on unclouded nights this time of year. Venus is sometimes called the morning star as well because sometimes it will still be visible right before sunset when all the other stars are not visible anymore. When you see it again try looking trough a pair of good monoculairs... you should be able to enjoy this gem even more.

Juliet

reply to post by timelike


Ahh, yes. What you are referring to is called the Moon Illusion

Yesterday, where I live, the planet Jupiter looked extraordinarily bright. I almost confused it with the ISS.

I'm in the US and I see that every morning around 4 to 5 am,seems to grow at times pulsates quite a bit

Thank you very much for your quick response!

Case Closed!

Cheers folks!

greets,
Sammy

reply to post by Aldolas


Oh and if you don't know about this site already, check it out. It's called Heavens-Above. It's a great site with lots of information. So if you see another bright object in the sky or if you want to know when the ISS will pass over your area, you can find all that there.

Yup, Venus is the brightest object in the morning aky at the moment, i have been looking at it while heading to work on an early shift, absaloutly umissable, it will reach it's maximum magnitude on the 23rd / 24th of this month i think.

reply to post by Aldolas


What I am (and it seems others) is about 45* up and roughly 240*-250* WSW. It is to bright to tell the color. Maybe white, maybe gold. It is peculiar in that it seems to move. I am in N. Central Texas. My backyard faces due SSW. The moon is almost dead straight behind my house. to the right, is "whatever". Hell maybe the "comet empire" from star blazers (yea, I dated myself). Using a telephone pole and its 3 cables, I observed the thing start out (figuratively speaking) to be just above the bottom cable and 1 1/2 inch's to the left of the pole. Withing 2-3 minutes, it had dropped some 2 inches (placing it well beneath the cable) and moves 1" toward the pole. There was no wind, cloud cover was very light. I noticed some dimming and brightening but put it off to distant clouds - maybe. My wife was with me outside (she has been noticing this also. I asked her to observe the thing and tell me her observations (scientific method always). She related exactly what I saw.