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Dec's Guide to the Night Sky for Amateur Astromomers - including Melbourne weather

OwlunarSenior Contributor

Dec's Guide to the Night Sky for Amateur Astromomers - including Melbourne weather

Hi @outlander, @Former-Member and @utopia

Hi Utopia - I tagged you for this one because I recollect you are interested in Astronomy - and this is a little thread I will run because I love this stuff and will enjoy sharing it with others

I have a book I get for Christmas every year which tells me when anything interesting is happening - I can't see everything from my place - the Melbourne weather - pollution in the atmosphere and my low horizon is not good for starters - but I can tell you what you could see easily right now - weather being clear of course

The moon is past half and is visible in the afternoon sky and after dark it's near the bright planet Jupiter for a few days - so those two are easy to find

And following that the Moon will pass Antares which is a red star in the middle of the constellation Scorpio - and then Saturn which is the ringed planet and the furthest away of the planets we can see with the naked eye

Also - early in the evening - the the South West of Jupiter you can see Sirius or the Wolf-Star that follows the constellation Orion which is harder to see at this time of year - you may know The Saucepan or know the three bright stars in Orion's Belt

In the morning you can easily see Venus - the planet that is sometimes in the east and sometimes in the west - called the Morning Star or The Evening Star as it moves around the sun - it appears in our morning or evening sky - it's the brighest planet and sometimes it is visible after sunrise or before sunset and it very easy to see - actually - very hard to miss if it's there

Mercury is the smallest planet of the visible 5 and is closest to the sun and the hardest to find - and it's rising before sunrise and I have not seen it lately but I know it's there. You might be lucky to find it - but when then moon is in the last quarter it will be much easier to find

I am up for questions but need to take a break from the computer for a while - but unless I decide to go out - I will be back if anyone has any questions

I get very maternal about a thread when I open it - so I will be looking for this one

Dec

And if I can get suitable pics I will post them to show what I mean - I love all of this


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In response to: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky for Amateur Astromomers - including Melbourne weather

OwlunarSenior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Hi @Gazza75 @Maggie @utopia @Shaz51 @Jo-anneJoy @Emelia8 @BlueBay @outlander and everyone else who is interested

I have a photo of the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn which is at it's best today - but I got this photo last night as the sky was clear - I think it was the best I would get this time around - the last time these two planets were close was in 1996 and I didn't see it that year - it was winter and the weather was foul but this year - whacko - I got it

In the picture I have posted I can easily see the two planets - if you can't then you will be able to see if you have a touch screen and can expand the photo - all the best everyone - I wish you the best and hopetully - this year will get better now -

I have been watching these two planets crossing the sky all year and we have had some clear nights so I took photos earlier in the year - seeing the planets get closer and closer as the year passed

Dec

The Great Conjunction 2020

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Emelia8Senior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Hi @Owlunar ... thanks for thinking to tag me. Eagerly awaiting pic to come through. Will check back again before I hit the road. Otherwise after I return home this arvo. Hope you are well? 😄🌷

Emelia

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

OwlunarSenior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

@Emelia8

Thanks Em - all the best today - I will be thinking of your

@MDT @TAB

Hi guys - I am tagging you into see my photo of The Great Conjuction of Jupiter and Saturn too - I hope you can see both planets in this photo - maybe it will be hard in a phone but in my computer I can see them distinctly - a small moment in history perhaps but I have waited for this moment for 25 years - I am not likely to see it again

All the best everyone

Dec

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

TABSenior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Hi @Owlunar yeah were some good pics on ABCtv this morning

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

MaggieSenior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

@Owlunar I think that’s amazing.

I saw something on tv a few nights ago and thought of you. It might be something to do with the pic you have taken, I’ve forgotten the actual name they used.

The sky is unreal. I hope we don’t pollute mars, like we have earth. 🌑🌙🌍🌔

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

MDTSenior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Nice shot @Owlunar
🙂

Thanks for the tag

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Emelia8Senior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Yes @Owlunar I can see the two planets ... thats amazing! 😀

Thanks for sharing. 💓

Emelia

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Shaz51Senior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

Thanks for the tag @Owlunar

Last night I saw it looked like a half of a milky way xoxo

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky - THE GREAT CONJUNCTION

OwlunarSenior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky -

Hi @Shaz51 @Emelia8 @MDT @Maggie @TAB @utopia @BlueBay

Today I am posting in green because it's St Patrick's Day

Right now if you get up before dawn you can see Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury rising. It will be easy to see Saturn and Jupiter earlier each night if the weather is clear - Mercury will leave the morning sky soon - it's not easy to see Mercury most of the time

Orion is setting in the evenings but after sunset it is still fairly high in the north-west and easy to see - Scorpio is rising in the east very early and is ahead of Saturn -

I am so thrilled so many people are interested in this thread.

Dec

In response to: Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky -

TABSenior Contributor

Re: Dec's Guide to the Night Sky -

I am interested but too lazy to learn @ https://youtu.be/c8qrwON1-zE
@Owlunar
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