Brightest Star in sky

Sully

Just a quick question, but what is the brightest star in the sky at the moment? Just looking recently I spotted one star which would be brighter then most others. I seem to recall talk last year about this being Mars?

Just a bit curious really. Was on the comeraghs and its most noticeable.

Beeker

Sully wrote: »

Just a quick question, but what is the brightest star in the sky at the moment? Just looking recently I spotted one star which would be brighter then most others. I seem to recall talk last year about this being Mars?

Just a bit curious really. Was on the comeraghs and its most noticeable.

Could be Sirius! Was it to the south?

Itsdacraic

There is an incredibly bright star in the north-east of the sky this evening. Not very high from the horizon and flashing from white to blue. I thought it was a plane at first but it isn't moving. It looks pretty spectacular.

harry46

I saw something similar but in south east sky over Galway tonight-very same impression,thought it was a plane but it has stayed there drifting with other stars to the south west.

recyclebin

I wonder is this the same thing I have seen in the sky the last two evenings around 6 o'clock in the south east. I have seen it when I was driving home from work when the sun is setting. It was the only shining light that I could see in the sky as it wasn't dark yet. It's got a slight green twinkle.

It's very strange because I have never seen it before yesterday when their was clear skys. I'm no astonomer so I don't know anything about it so I'm hopin you guys can tell me what it is.

Agonist

Sirius is close to the horizon in the south east in the evenings at the moment. It's bright white/blue. It seems to twinkle like mad, I don't know if that's because it's so bright.
It's the brighest star of all.

Mars is to the east of it and much higher up. It's very bright too and is distinctly reddish. It doesn't twinkle at all, at least not to my eyes.

Flukey

As seen from Earth, Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. It is very easy to find, as we traditionally use the 3 stars of Orion's Belt to point down towards it. Orion is the finest costellation in the sky, totally unmissable. Face south and you cannot miss it. This is Orion:



Once you find Orion, Sirius is easy to find.


Together with the red giant Betelgeuse from Orion and Procyon in Canis Minor, Sirius forms a large triangle in the sky, with it being the bottom point of it. So it is very easy to find Sirius. If it is not Sirius, there are some other bright objects around, but not where you describe. Orion is well worth a look at in any event, so spend some time looking if you can and enjoy the winter night skies.

Carawaystick

maybe they mean the planet that's about twice as far from Orion in about a right angle up and left of the image flukey posted. Mars - looks a bit yellowey or orangey. It's well brighter than sirius at the min

Sully

Iv no idea what direction it is, but its more redish in colour then anything.

NickFromTipp

Mars is overhead at the mo. Near Castor and Pollux (Gemini).

ynotdu

Sully wrote: »

Iv no idea what direction it is, but its more redish in colour then anything.

Hi Sully,i am no expert on Astronomy but if you say it is more redish than anything in the Sky it is the Planet Mars,without a doubt.

The shimmering bluish light in the Sky is a Star but that is the limit of my knowledge.

If the poster who asked about the shimmering light asks it as a seperate thread,i bet boardsies will know its name straight away!:)