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3/11/2023 2:02:07 PM
 
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Section 25: Miscellaneous Subject: Bright planets at dusk Msg# 1183327
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| Thanks, headed up to my hunting lodge 3/29. It's on top of Barclay Mountain in Bradford County, PA where we have zero light pollution. On a clear, moonless night you can't even see your hand right in front of your face, talk about dark! We sometimes just sit in chairs out on the road with a couple of beers and watch the sky for shooting stars. FYI, there is zero traffic on the road so not a hazard. Might try using the spotting scope (36X) to find Mercury. | ||||||
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For reference, the above message is a reply to a message where: Dear Robert, I think you and I had chatted about the stars and planets a bit before? Maybe you’d want to hear about some things to look for right now … If you check the *western half* of the sky right about dusk, you should be able to spot both Jupiter and Venus, presuming there are no clouds blocking you. Jupiter is much closer to the western horizon but looks very impressive to see. Venus is a dazzling point of light somewhat higher in the sky and almost vertically upwards from Jupiter. Venus is such a bright pinpoint people sometimes mistake it for the light of an approaching airplane. And it has been said that when Venus is at its very brightest it can even cast shadows… Anyway nobody should miss out on the opportunity of seeing Venus as it is quite a spectacle… If you’re really an astronomy “maven” then you might want to try to spot Mercury on March 28 when it will show up just one half degree north of Jupiter. Be warned that Mercury is dim and tricky to spot in the glow of dusk and binocs are strongly recommende… Venus has some interesting days coming up in April - on the 10th it will be very close to the “Pleiades” cluster in Taurus and then on the 22nd and 23rd it will appear very close to the moon. Keep looking up! Yours, Doug |
