What's above the moon?

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

I was driving home from Oxford earlier this evening, and for once it was a lovely clear night. There was a sliver of moon showing and above it a very bright star or planet. I know very little about the night sky. Can anyone tell me what the bright light above tonights moon is?
Thanks

BWD

[weathergirl]

Was it twinkling or not? You can tell the difference between a star and a planet as planet dont twinkle.

[Garden Carpet]

Oh! I always believed the twinkle was caused by the atmosphere? Am I wrong again Weathergirl?
jaki

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Garden Carpet

Oh! I always believed the twinkle was caused by the atmosphere? Am I wrong again Weathergirl?
jaki

It IS caused by the atmosphere, but Weathergirl was also right. The intensity of the starlight is much greater, hence the tendency to twinkle. As the light from the Planets is only reflected light, it doesn't.

[glsammy]

Back to the question, it was almost certainly Venus. They're right next to each other at the moment, it would only have been visible until about 6pm.

[Garden Carpet]

Ahah! comprehension dawns! Thanks Graham
jaki

[Twizzle]

Hi All

I am glad someone asked this question, as I saw the this fantastic clear sight while driving across the Dartford Bridge. Thanks. I can sleep easy now.

Twizzle

[Dan Salter]

Originally Posted by Twizzle

Hi All

I am glad someone asked this question, as I saw the this fantastic clear sight while driving across the Dartford Bridge. Thanks. I can sleep easy now.

Twizzle

Next time im crossing the bridge at dartford remind me to look out for the crazy drivers staring up at the night sky and not watching the road? its a long way down off the side of that bridge ! lol

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Thanks for the info glsammy, we saw it at about 17:30ish. It was certainly very bright then.

BWD

[henrya]

Originally Posted by glsammy

It IS caused by the atmosphere, but Weathergirl was also right. The intensity of the starlight is much greater, hence the tendency to twinkle. As the light from the Planets is only reflected light, it doesn't.

Don't understand this argument, glsammy. I always believed that stars twinkled because they were points of light, and the atmosphere 'shimmer' could divert the light easily. Planets are discs of light, with a much greater diameter, and so the 'shimmer' doesn't affect them in the same way.

henrya

[matt_xyz]

my understanding is that because stars as so distant, they provide a single ray of light which is easily distorted by the atmosphere (air of different temperatures). Planets on the other hand are much closer and so appear much brighter. They emit multiple rays of light and although each individual ray is distorted by the atmosphere the overall, average, effect is not distorted. So the light seems constant.

Matt

[colincurry]

On a slightly different tack - there is a tenuous connection - height in the sky. As a young boy, my elder son asked me how high was the sky. I tried to answer this in a way that I thought he would relate to. I told him: "A hundred miles".

He is now 43 and still hasn't forgiven me.

Colin