Bill Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 It’s a crystal clear night tonight so try this. Nip outside, face east south east (towards Manchester) and look up at an angle of about 60degrees at precisely 19 47pm. See what you see! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 Unfortunately Bill I only read your post at2100hrs, so whatever it was I missed it!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted March 21, 2012 Report Share Posted March 21, 2012 It’s a crystal clear night tonight so try this. Nip outside, face east south east (towards Manchester) and look up at an angle of about 60degrees at precisely 19 47pm. See what you see! Bill Next doors missus having a shower. But how did you know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 Ok a bit more notice this time. Face dead north tonight at six minutes past seven look up at 45 degrees. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 Venus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 Space station :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 Venus You would only be able to see Venus due north in daytime from this country (possible with a telescope so long as you know where to look) because of it's orbit relative to the sun and earth. This is why it is variously known as the morning or evening star, as it is either rising just ahead of the sun or setting just after. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evil Sid Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 all I saw was a ryanair flight from Dublin to John Lennon airport, can't remember the flight number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Venus is visible at the moment, as you say early evening, Bill said look at 7.06 pm, If you spend as much energy trying to answer Bill's question as you do trying to prove me wrong, we might have an answer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Forgot to look myself due to having a belated mother’s day with the family. But what you should have seen is something very much brighter than Venus but lasting only a few seconds. It’s just sunlight reflecting off the solar panels of a communications satellite and although it’s quite short lived, it’s pretty spectacular. The reflected light is in the form of a narrow beam (bit like s searchlight) so it’s only visible for a few 10s of seconds as the beam passes through Warrington and people several miles out of town maybe wouldn’t see it as brightly. The chances of the beam passing through Warrington on a clear night aren’t that high but it’ll happen twice again this week. Tonight at dead on 8pm in the north and an even brighter event on Wednesday night at 18 mins past eight in the southeast. You need to look up rather than at the horizon (60 degrees) but don’t blame me if you get a stiff neck. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 sunlight reflecting off the solar panels of a communications satellite So, could it blind you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Venus is visible at the moment, as you say early evening, Bill said look at 7.06 pm, If you spend as much energy trying to answer Bill's question as you do trying to prove me wrong, we might have an answer What Bill said was you should look due North. It is a fact that you will not see Venus due north at 7pm from Warrington. Venus is quite low down in the sky to the West at this time. I'm not trying to prove you wrong, just giving you some information that is true. If you want to be chippy and ignore it that's your loss. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Hey no arguing you two. The big clue was I said at six minutes past seven whereas Venus is visible for most of the evening. With the clocks going forward, this evenings event was in a fairly bright sky but none the less it was quite dazzling. The one on Wednesday evening will be an order of magnitude higher (-9) and that happens only once in a blue moon so well worth looking out for. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 I'm annoyed as despite running around like a headless chicken all day I actually remembered to look up at precisely 8pm (well actually 7.55pm to 8.05pm as I gave myself a 10 minute slot so I wouldn't miss it ) Problem was that although I thought my other half had changed the kitchen clock this morning he hadn't so I was an hour out Bill, can you remind me again on Wednesday please so this topic flags up and I don't forget forget to try again Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 Was you an hour late for work Diz?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted March 25, 2012 Report Share Posted March 25, 2012 More North westerly from my house Asp, Venus that is , thanks though for the morning star info I did not know it was called that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted March 26, 2012 Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 That would be right Lt Kije, Venus was bearing due West at 2100 last night and set at just after midnight bearing just West of Northwest. If you have a sextant you will be able to see Venus due South at 1608 this afternoon. :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2012 Reminder for Dizzy just in case I’m not around tomorrow. Face roughly Southeast on Wednesday night and look almost straight up at exactly 18 minutes past eight. You should see what looks like a small star that’s moving. At 20:18 and 21 seconds it’s brightness will gradually increase to approximately 100 times brighter than Sirius (the brightest star) so you can’t exactly miss it. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 it'll be on youtube somewhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Posted March 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 You mean just like this. [url} [/url] I think that’s probably been taken with a telephoto lens because to the naked eye, the satellite before and after the flare is normally just a pinprick of light and only just visible. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 told you!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Wow,!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 To think, I woke up half way through Eastenders to watch that. :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpg.3ba2d545854d2844adb911806b68eb4b.jpg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.