Clear skys tonight.

Plug

Just a reminder. Hopefully it stays clear:)

ThatDrGuy

Not looking good in kildare. I have 3 scopes out cooling to capture mars. If that doesnt draw clouds, nothing will.

Pablod

not a cloud in the sky down in south Kildare this evening,

don't have a telescope myself yet, just trying to get up to speed and gauge things at the moment before going for my first scope

Forgive my lack of knowledge/coordinates and I could be wrong
But is Mars the star way off left of the moon? if so its clear shining orange/red and then Jupiter is very bright off to the right...?

Cheers

ThatDrGuy

yeah, thats mars. Doesnt twinkle (thats how you can tell it from orange stars like betelguese) Jupiter is to right of moon at moment and the bright "star" beside it is venus.

Prenderb

Is a very clear night for stars in Kildare. Just in from an hour's gazing in the back garden. One of these days I'll head out from town, but good viewing tonight. Pity the moon's so bright, but then it is gorgeous through a scope!

Oscar Bravo

Nice and Clear in Castlebar too,really good views.

snowey07

I was blown away tonight , seeing jupiter and mars. There was clear skys in north county dublin and wow, wow , wow. I cant wait for tommorow night as i didnt know you could see Mars too .

Standard Toaster

Last night I seen Jupiter storms and a number of it's moons for the first time.
I was blown away, never thought I would be able to seen the moons.

Same tonight maybe

dominiquecruz

I know Venus is the brightest star in the sky, but wow; it looks exceptionally luminous from where I am right now. Could that be anything to do with solar flare you reckon? I hear Venus is so bright because its atmospheric gases are particularly reflective of solar light - could the increase in solar activity thus increase its magnitude?

slade_x

dominiquecruz wrote: »

I know Venus is the brightest star in the sky, but wow; it looks exceptionally luminous from where I am right now. Could that be anything to do with solar flare you reckon?

No it would be almost impossible for the human eye to detect the negligible difference in the variation of the suns brightness. Solar maximum is something around 0.1% brighter than when the sun is at solar minimum

dominiquecruz wrote: »

I hear Venus is so bright because its atmospheric gases are particularly reflective of solar light

Its not all the atmosphere its specifically what makes up its extremely thick clouds for example sulfur dioxide and droplets of sulfuric acid

dominiquecruz wrote: »

- could the increase in solar activity thus increase its magnitude?

No but its relative proximity to earth would be a determining factor in being able to observe it more easily

Also since were on the subject of venus dont forget if you missed the last venus transit of the sun in 2004, your last chance to catch it is in june of this year (6th June 2012). It wont happen again for more than a hundred years.

dominiquecruz

Thanks Slade. Very informative!