News1 min ago
Planet query
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In the NW UK sky (approx) is a very low and bright star. Is it a planet? if so, which one?
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Planets follow the same general path through the sky as the Sun and Moon called the Ecliptic, so there's a clue. Apart from the Sun and Moon, Venus is often the brightest object visible.
Today at about 1830 when the sun sets imagine the course of the sun in the sky and travel back a little to WSW and you will see Venus.
When it gets a bit darker and you can see the constellation Orion look at the three stars making the belt and follow their direction to the right and up towards the Ecliptic and you will see Mars. Go back to Orion and find the four large stars forming a sort of twisted rectangle around the belt. Draw an imaginary line between the lower right (Rigel) passing through the centre of the three belt stars and upwards through the top right slightly red star of the trapezium of Orion (Betelgeuse). Keep this imaginary line going to the Ecliptic and you will see Saturn.
Finally, and perhaps later in the night, there will be a low bright star called Sirius due South at 19:18hrs. This will be on an imaginary line from Orion's belt going left and down. Stay at the same distance from the horizon but turn to your left and at the ecliptic about where the sun rises, you will see Jupiter.
Because the planets move around the sky circling the Sun as we do, and the stars are a lot farther away, the planets appear at differing places with respect to the starry background, so these instructions will only work for a short while. The word "planet" is from the Greek word for wanderer.
Today at about 1830 when the sun sets imagine the course of the sun in the sky and travel back a little to WSW and you will see Venus.
When it gets a bit darker and you can see the constellation Orion look at the three stars making the belt and follow their direction to the right and up towards the Ecliptic and you will see Mars. Go back to Orion and find the four large stars forming a sort of twisted rectangle around the belt. Draw an imaginary line between the lower right (Rigel) passing through the centre of the three belt stars and upwards through the top right slightly red star of the trapezium of Orion (Betelgeuse). Keep this imaginary line going to the Ecliptic and you will see Saturn.
Finally, and perhaps later in the night, there will be a low bright star called Sirius due South at 19:18hrs. This will be on an imaginary line from Orion's belt going left and down. Stay at the same distance from the horizon but turn to your left and at the ecliptic about where the sun rises, you will see Jupiter.
Because the planets move around the sky circling the Sun as we do, and the stars are a lot farther away, the planets appear at differing places with respect to the starry background, so these instructions will only work for a short while. The word "planet" is from the Greek word for wanderer.
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