Strange Light Near the Moon?

I noticed it last night, too - Jupiter, I mean. Wasn't sure exactly what it was but I figured it had to be one of the planets because it was so insanely bright, especially so to show up that well so close to a very bright moon.

reply to post by WeekendWarrior


Im not saying it had to of been Jupiter, im just relating my own experience. Who knows? It very well could have been a UFO for all i know....

Originally posted by Druid42
I am on the east coast as well, and had just gotten off work on Friday. Being an amateur astronomer, I always gaze at the sky at night, sometimes with the naked eye, and others with a telescope.

That said, I saw the same anomaly that the OP saw, about the same time. I thought to myself which planet is that? I also have an app on my Android, called Google Sky Map. You point your phone at the object, and it displays what should be in the sky at that spot. It works great for star hopping.

Sure enough, it was Jupiter. Didn't think twice after that, being tired after an 11 hour shift, and went back inside.

Weekly Stargazing Tips Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii). Check out last week's tips if you missed a night.
September 16, 2011 Jupiter rises just to the right of the Moon in mid-evening and sticks with it as they climb high across the sky later on. It looks like a brilliant star. Through binoculars, Jupiter’s four largest moons look like tiny stars quite near the planet.
September 17, 2011 Some of the oldest stars in the galaxy congregate in the globular cluster M2. It is in the southeast at nightfall and wheels high across the south later on. Through binoculars, it looks like a fuzzy patch of light in the northwestern corner of Aquarius.
September 18, 2011 Aldebaran, the bright “eye” of Taurus, the bull, is close to the lower right of the Moon as they rise shortly before midnight tonight and stays with the Moon as they climb high up the southern sky in the wee hours of the morning.

Source.

It was a beautiful sight to behold. Very bright. Not surprising to find a thread here about it. Et voila.

Thanks for your reply, that's def. enough info on my end to prove that it probably was Jupiter if indeed this type of phenomeon exists. Thanks for all that replied - like i said I wasn't sure what it could have been because I never studied astronomy in any way really - from the info Phage and everyone else provided I think it most likely was Jupiter. If not, then awesome I saw something unexplained, but I am more than willing to accept it as Jupiter from all the information.

reply to post by stevenreanimator


Astronomy is a fascinating subject. You can spend your whole lifetime learning.

I'm a tad bit disappointed in Phage for not linking sources for his opinion, but this was, of course, one of the more trivial sightings.

Get a telescope. Start out with a cheap one. A little 70x will get you to moon craters. The moon in clarity, the vast resources on the interwebs to cross reference, will inspire you.

I'd like to buy a DSLR, to fit on my scope, but I can't afford it right now. I wait. It doesn't stop me from learning about the multiverse around us.

The answers come slowly. The stars remain above us.