Object around the moon

Has anyone looked at the moon tonight? There's an object around the 4:30, 5:00 position just off the side is a glowing object. Can someone tell me what it is? I tried to take a photo, but the moon glow completely washed out my little crappy digital camera.
Cheers,

reply to post by birddawg


I see it too! Just went and looked. I'm looking to see what should be by the moon.

Mars and the moon are supposed to be within two degrees of each other tonight. We're overcast here, so you're lucky!

It's mars. I looked on Stellarium and Mars is right in that place. Pretty cool looking though.

Trying to get a picture with my telescope, I'll post it here. Sorry for the one liner!

Thanks for the confirmation guys, when I noticed it during moon rise, it was at like 5:30 (this was like 6:30 my time). I just went out and looked again (it now 8:15 central US time) and whatever it is around the 2:00, 2:30 position.

Ok i see it too...from where im looking the object is in the 4-5 o clock posistion...Is everyone sure that is mars? and does this have anything to do with the prediction of something happening today or tomarrow involving Venus?

*%^* We are really overcast tonight (central/east Alaska).

However, last night we were crystal clear...and Mars was super close to the Moon....and it looked like I could reach out and touch it!

And..........the batteries were dead in my camera and...I didnt get a picture.


&*%$#

It looks really small and different in that location? Stellarium shows mars right at 3:00 position though. My telescope is getting fixed, so I hope Theexaminer gets a good photo of it.

This is just interesting to me. Can someone explain why as the moon rises, what ever this is maintains relatively the same radial distance, from my humble perspective, away from the moon but travels counter clockwise around the moon.
Cheers.

reply to post by TheSonOfMan


Venus isn't in the sky right now. Not in the U.S anyway, but should be up in the southeast at sunrise.

reply to post by birddawg


So are you saying youve seen this object moving around the moon?

Originally posted by birddawg
Can someone explain why as the moon rises, what ever this is maintains relatively the same radial distance, from my humble perspective, away from the moon but travels counter clockwise around the moon.

Due to the rotation of the earth, celestial objects travel a curved path across the sky. As the moon travels relatively faster across the sky, Mars appears to "orbit" it.

Here's a link with more information. :

Full Moon Meets Mars

Mars will be situated below and to the left of the moon. Notice that moon will appear to approach Mars as the evening progresses by its own diameter each hour. By about 7:00 p.m., the moon will seem to be sitting directly above Mars and an hour later, it will have shifted to the upper left of Mars.

[edit on 12/23/2007 by eaglewingz]

Wow. Just seen it here in the UK. Its in the 9 o'clock position and the moon is sooo bright. Its cloudy as hell here though so im only getting to see it when theres small breaks in the clouds. Looks amazing

If im seeing it in the 9 position does this mean I'll see it cross the moon to 3, or would it be something else?

Yahoo news just put an article on their front page about this:

news.yahoo.com...

Mars glows, no need for Rudolph's nose By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer
Thu Dec 20, 11:17 AM ET



Mars will be unusually bright this Christmas Eve and the moon will be shining full — a development that might make Santa Claus rethink his need for Rudolph's red nose.

That idea, from Miami Space Transit Planetarium director Jack Horkheimer, made us wonder if retooling a certain reindeer song is the best way to explain it to the kids:

Mars is a red-tinged planet

With a very shiny glow

And if you look to see it

You will find the moon in tow.

The red planet will shine brighter because it will be directly opposite the sun, reflecting the most light, and fairly close to Earth, only 55.5 million miles away. The full moon will appear nearby, rising about an hour later, said Horkheimer, host of the public television show "Star Gazer."

All of the other Yuletides

Santa would have at his side

The shiny nose of Rudolph

Acting as his big sleigh's guide

Mars will outshine the brightest star and won't be as noticeable in the sky for nine more years, Horkheimer said. The Hubble Space Telescope took a picture of Mars, which came closest to Earth on Dec. 18, but it will be brighter on Christmas Eve because of its position opposite the sun.

But this very Christmas Eve

Santa came to say:

"Rudolph, now with Mars so bright,

You can stay at home tonight."

"It will be a brilliant red light," Horkheimer said. "It is so bright it knocks your socks off." He added that this would allow Santa to give Rudolph a pink slip, albeit a temporary one.

Then all the reindeer teased him.

And they shouted out with glee:

"Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer

Outsourced to astronomy."

___

AP Science Writer Malcolm Ritter in New York contributed to this report.

___

On the Net:

Hubble Space Telescope's image of Mars 55 million miles away:

hubblesite.org...

reply to post by drunknmunky


Yes, I think so? The moon will go to the left of Mars and leave it alone later on tonight. Since the moon moves quicker.

the sky is totally awesome here in the east coast of USA. i see mars! it looks like a red star at the 4:00 position to the moon. we just had a terrific rain storm and now its windy and partially cloudy.

Here in Buenos Aires I can see it too, it's a good time for telescope fans...

reply to post by greeneyedleo


Great find.

Reminds me of that Saturnalia stuff.

Happy holidays

After Mars opposition, it will slowly get dimmer in our sky as Earth in its inner orbit speeds ahead, and the distance between our two worlds increase. A year from now, Mars will appear no brighter than an a regular star.

Here's what the opposition looks like if you were to see it above our solar system.


[img][/img]

Source


[edit on 12/23/2007 by Solarskye]

[edit on 12/23/2007 by Solarskye]