What is that star...?

[Amoeba]

Seen over Scotland, usually to the East or the South at night roughly between 40-70 degrees from the horizon at the late evening to midnight most nights. On a clear night it's the brightest thing in the sky besides the moon, you can't miss it. I first noticed it last winter because it was so bright.

Anyone have any idea what it is? I don't have a telescope so I can't see for myself.

[Jim Ford]

Undoubtedly Jupiter. It wouldn't be Venus as Venus is never seen far from the Sun - as the Evening or Morning Star.

Get a pair of binos on it and you'll probably see the Galilean moons in a line on either side.

Jim

[Doggle Avaddit]

Download this, its free.

Stellarium


It will name everything you can see at your point on the globe. It really is amazing.

[Amoeba]

Doggle: Thanks for linking me to that program I absolutely love it!

Jim: Thanks for the suggestion, I had a thought it might be Jupiter since I'd read it was closer just now and seen at that part of the sky, but I can't find anywhere that confirms it. I don't have anything like binoculars, certainly not the kind that can see to that magnification. My friend has a pair but they're better suited for bird watching.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Amoeba

I don't have anything like binoculars, certainly not the kind that can see to that magnification. My friend has a pair but they're better suited for bird watching.

Any binos will be OK. The bird watching ones will be fine.

Jim

[Amoeba]

Hm, ok I'll try that next time I'm over and there's clear sky.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Doggle Avaddit

Download this, its free.

Stellarium

It will name everything you can see at your point on the globe. It really is amazing.

I used Stellarium to help set up a satellite dish recently. It looked like there might be a problem with the tops of a couple of trees in the line of sight to the Astra2 satellite. Astra2 is near enough 145 degrees azimuth and 25 elevation. I ran Stellarium and noted that Rigel in Orion passed though 24 degrees at 145 and noted the time it did so. I then checked at that time (around 2330 Hrs) and saw that Rigel was well clear of the trees tops. I then fixed the dish with the confidence that I would get a good signal - which I did.

It seemed to me to be a really accurate way of confirming line of sight to a satellite. There might be the smallest gap between two buildings, but if you can nail the chosen star at the appropriate time, you're in business.

Jim

[Doggle Avaddit]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

I used Stellarium to help set up a satellite dish recently. It looked like there might be a problem with the tops of a couple of trees in the line of sight to the Astra2 satellite. Astra2 is near enough 145 degrees azimuth and 25 elevation. I ran Stellarium and noted that Rigel in Orion passed though 24 degrees at 145 and noted the time it did so. I then checked at that time (around 2330 Hrs) and saw that Rigel was well clear of the trees tops. I then fixed the dish with the confidence that I would get a good signal - which I did.

It seemed to me to be a really accurate way of confirming line of sight to a satellite. There might be the smallest gap between two buildings, but if you can nail the chosen star at the appropriate time, you're in business.

Jim

Excellent! I don't think I'd have thought of that.

[artdemole]

Jupiter being a planet is beginning to get further away this month so it will get dimmer.