Extra Bright Object - Is it really Venus??

Hello Fellow Truth Seekers,


/i have noticed for the past month that in Australia for the first 3-4 hrs after dusk there is a very bright object in the NW skys. Doing a google search has told me that is Venus.

Now my question is how can we be sure of what info we are getting from online. I have to say this object is the brightest i have ever seen and i have spent many a night looking into the sky for many years.

What i also notice is the light intensity seems t be getting brighter and the object appears in the same place very single night.

Also now i may be wrong but i had a thought, if it were venus would i be able see it after dusk?? Now Venus is closer to the sun therefor how i can i see when i am facing away from the sun at night???

As i said as well it hasnt moved at all as a planet in orbit would.

So what is it? Is it Venus or something else??

reply to post by Havick007


For a about a week now I have seen Venus come up with the moon. It came up after it first, but before it later. So I think (not sure) that the object you are seeing is not Venus.

reply to post by Havick007



Okay forget what I just said. I found this.

Venus is often considered the Evening Star or the Morning Star, depending on which time of day it is up and dominating the twilight. For example, until late September 2010, Venus will appear as a brilliant yellow star in the evening sky, right after sunset. Located 15° above the western horizon one hour after sundown, it remains on view until after 10 P.M. local daylight time. At the beginning of June, Venus spans 13" across and shows a gibbous disk 80-percent lit. By late in the month, the disk has grown to 16" and the phase has shrunk to 70-percent illumination. The planet shines at a stunning -4 magnitude, about ten times brighter than the brightest star Sirius, and by far the brightest celestial object after the Sun and Moon. Venus is so bright due to a combination of factors. Venus is covered with an opaque layer of highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid. These clouds reflect 70-percent of the sunlight that hits them. For comparison, the Earth reflects 36-percent and Mars and the Moon around 15-percent of the sunlight striking them. Venus is also rather large, being only a bit smaller than the Earth - its radius is 95-percent as large as Earth's. The final piece of Venus' brightness puzzle is its close distance to Earth. Right now, the planet is 1.2 astronomical units (110 million miles) from Earth.

www.nightskyinfo.com...

Maybe it is Venus. I must be seeing Mercury during early morning hours.

Originally posted by Havick007
Hello Fellow Truth Seekers,


Now my question is how can we be sure of what info we are getting from online.

We simply can't.

As confusing as these times are (with the advent of instant Internet communication) I think there's an ironic lesson here.

I think all the cynicism and distrust we're having with 'authorities' and their less-than-forthcoming 'information' lately is making it obvious that we need to break free from the herd and seek out our own truths. We need to be free-thinkers again!

If it 'fits' your logic then....it's probably right!

Well, a good way would be to get Stellarium.

You can put in your location, time etc and at that time of night, compare what is in the sky to what is shown on Stellarium, if they match up then....

I've just recently purchased a telescope, and for me, Venus came about an hour before the Moon. It was remarkably bright, and the first time I saw it with my naked eye I was amazed that I've never in my life seemed to have noticed it.

Looking through the telescope it was even more spectacular, but obviously Venus.

reply to post by Havick007

As i said as well it hasnt moved at all as a planet in orbit would.

How do you figure? The Sun sets in the west, the rotations of the planets follow this path. Each sphere seems to move through the sky at its own pace. Venus sets in the west, after a few hours, if you sit out there long enough, you can watch it set in the west.

Look up to the left just a tad from Venus, you will see a red planet (mars). It also will set, after Venus does, in the west. (if you have bad pollution or alot of lights around you you might not be able to see mars....but if your seeing Venus as very bright, it sounds like you have a clear view.

This was last nights view...
earthsky.org...

reply to post by One Moment

We simply can't.

Ever heard of astronomy, its the science of the positions of the sky? Thousands of careers rely on astronomy. There are many great sites to use that are astronomical based. And no Im not talking about NASA.

I've been watching it from South Aust too.. man is it bright!
I've never seen Venus this bright before, you can see it while the sky is still blue just after sunset and well into the night.
Thanks for posting the question OP

Alright. So I picked Sydney Australia as location. Set the date and time to June 10,2010, 7:28PM looking NW at is seems to get dark there around 5:30. I'd say you have a pretty nice view of the planets. But here is the image of what you are seeing or close. Does the bright object go lower into the horizon the later it gets? because if yes, then it probably is Venus. as shown in the 2 pictures below

7:31PM looking NW


And 8:46PM with Venus almost out of sight depending on your elevation and view of the horizon.



[edit on 10-7-2010 by YouCanCallMeKM]

Originally posted by Funk bunyip
I've been watching it from South Aust too.. man is it bright!
I've never seen Venus this bright before, you can see it while the sky is still blue just after sunset and well into the night.
Thanks for posting the question OP

It seems every year there are people that say they have never seen it this bright.

If you sit out and watch it....as it gets close to the horizon, it sometimes turns a light orange, very pretty.

I describe Venus as the one that looks like it is going to pop out of the sky.

reply to post by YouCanCallMeKM


Great posts....I always forget that some may see it from a different perspective, like the pic I posted is having Mars to the upper left....but from a different place on Earth, it could be to the upper right.

Originally posted by LeoVirgo
reply to post by YouCanCallMeKM

 

Great posts....I always forget that some may see it from a different perspective, like the pic I posted is having Mars to the upper left....but from a different place on Earth, it could be to the upper right.

Yea you really gotta be careful. Next time your out and about at night. Look up and look at the stars and pick out ones you can easily spot out. Walk about 3-4 min in one direction and look up again. you will notice the positions of the stars changed. and some dramatically.

Originally posted by YouCanCallMeKM

Originally posted by LeoVirgo
reply to post by YouCanCallMeKM

 

Great posts....I always forget that some may see it from a different perspective, like the pic I posted is having Mars to the upper left....but from a different place on Earth, it could be to the upper right.

Yea you really gotta be careful. Next time your out and about at night. Look up and look at the stars and pick out ones you can easily spot out. Walk about 3-4 min in one direction and look up again. you will notice the positions of the stars changed. and some dramatically.

I hope at least one of you is being facetious or sarcastic, because theese two statements are actronomically false. Move to a different position on the Earth and you will see the same sky, just a different part of it. Sure the planets will be in a different location from horizon to horizon, but their relation to the rest of the stars and planets do not change to any degree visible to the naked eye no matter where you are on the Earth.

If all the planets were all in a line directy out from the equator, where you just see the closest one with the rest behind, and you move N or S about 2000miles, you will be able to see a bit of the stars behind the first.
You would deffinately not see Mercury, Venus, and Mars all lined up at an angle from lower left to high right, and then go anywhere else and see them from the lower right to high left. Just to much distance to bring about that big a change in positioning.

That's my take. I'm no expert. Took Astronomy courses in college (3000's), AST2012, AST3032 (History of Astronomy 3rd yr course), AST2001 AST2002, and the Physics courses to go along with them.

God that was a lifetime age though (17 years).

Venus is bright one in the evening sky. Jupiter is currently visible in the morning and rises before the moon.

[edit on 10-7-2010 by Saint Exupery]

This site here, Amazing Space: Tonight's Sky has good information about what is visible in the sky for differnt months. They have small video clips you can download that walk you through different star and planet locations for the month and a little of how they progress.

Originally posted by Tempest333

Originally posted by YouCanCallMeKM

Originally posted by LeoVirgo
reply to post by YouCanCallMeKM

 

Great posts....I always forget that some may see it from a different perspective, like the pic I posted is having Mars to the upper left....but from a different place on Earth, it could be to the upper right.

Yea you really gotta be careful. Next time your out and about at night. Look up and look at the stars and pick out ones you can easily spot out. Walk about 3-4 min in one direction and look up again. you will notice the positions of the stars changed. and some dramatically.

I hope at least one of you is being facetious or sarcastic, because theese two statements are actronomically false. Move to a different position on the Earth and you will see the same sky, just a different part of it. Sure the planets will be in a different location from horizon to horizon, but their relation to the rest of the stars and planets do not change to any degree visible to the naked eye no matter where you are on the Earth.

If all the planets were all in a line directy out from the equator, where you just see the closest one with the rest behind, and you move N or S about 2000miles, you will be able to see a bit of the stars behind the first.
You would deffinately not see Mercury, Venus, and Mars all lined up at an angle from lower left to high right, and then go anywhere else and see them from the lower right to high left. Just to much distance to bring about that big a change in positioning.

That's my take. I'm no expert. Took Astronomy courses in college (3000's), AST2012, AST3032 (History of Astronomy 3rd yr course), AST2001 AST2002, and the Physics courses to go along with them.

God that was a lifetime age though (17 years).

Alright, not to get all technical and stuff. Obviously the position of the starts related to other stars wont change. But the persons perspective of it will. They will be in the same position, you will just be looking at it from a different angle. Sorry for not phrasing my sentence properly. And just so you know, we have two hemispheres. Northern and southern. There isn't a place on earth where you can stand and see the whole entire sky.Doesn't matter how high you are, you cant. there will always be a horizon because by now I'm sure you know that the earth is round, not flat.

I dont know when the last time you have been outside at night but let me tell you something. I was observing a line of stars at my friends house up the road. This line was going from top left, to bottom right. When I got home, which is a walk going down the road and a slight turn to the right, the stars were more in a horizontal formation. But obviously the stars didn't move, just the angle I was observing them from. My perspective changed.

Hope we can agree that its the perspective that changes. The angle of your observation.

[edit on 10-7-2010 by YouCanCallMeKM]

Originally posted by YouCanCallMeKM
Alright, not to get all technical and stuff. Obviously the position of the starts related to other stars wont change. But the persons perspective of it will. They will be in the same position, you will just be looking at it from a different angle. Sorry for not phrasing my sentence properly. And just so you know, we have two hemispheres. Northern and southern. There isn't a place on earth where you can stand and see the whole entire sky.Doesn't matter how high you are, you cant. there will always be a horizon because by now I'm sure you know that the earth is round, not flat.

I dont know when the last time you have been outside at night but let me tell you something. I was observing a line of stars at my friends house up the road. This line was going from top left, to bottom right. When I got home, which is a walk going down the road and a slight turn to the right, the stars were more in a horizontal formation. But obviously the stars didn't move, just the angle I was observing them from. My perspective changed.

Hope we can agree that its the perspective that changes. The angle of your observation.

[edit on 10-7-2010 by YouCanCallMeKM]

Yes I totally agree with you. Since my previous post I have been thinking about my own experience in seeing the same stars and planets at different angles. I am in agreement that it is possible and even after time goes by the viewing angle changes as, say, an upright triangle rising in the East looks upside down as it sets, and as you move towards the poles (looking north/south) you can make out their rotation around the axis.
And Yes I know I cannot see the whole sky at once, silly

Temp

reply to post by LeoVirgo


NOOO! What is this "astronomy" of which you speak?
Next you will tell us there is printed matter, called books that existed centuries before the internet! That this "astronomy" is thousands of years old and that planetary movements have been well understood for centuries! And that they have been written down in these "books' and even predicted in advance!
And i will tell you modern education is pathetic! Christ kids! Get off the stupid computer and learn to use a library and READ A BOOK!

reply to post by ThaLoccster


yeah at the moment its the brightest light in the sky. Also the only one i can see through very light cloud cover.

reply to post by OldDragger


I guess you dont see the use of sarcasm...to make a point.

Do you really thing I didnt think you have heard of Astronomy

You were the one that said we couldnt find truth on the internet (something to that matter, sorry for not directly quoting). My point was, there are astronomy sites and figure tips reach...on the web.

There is truth, if one is looking for it in the right places. Was my point.

Lol....Im fixing to be 35, gots me 3 kids....oldest turning 14 in a couple months. I have plenty of life outside the computer....oh yeah, college courses on the side....but ya know....us kids are just so

My biggest hobby of all outside of my family, gardening my own food, fishing for our own food....is reading. Im a wee bit obsessed with information.

Funny assumption you made there, made me smile.

Have a good one there OldDragger....