25th January when 7 planets line up. Need a telescope to see Neptune & Uranus. London time 4:11pm. Not sure but 5.11pm at a guess.
Sadly my telescope is in france, just binoculars in the UK.
2 Likes
I have noticed this last couple of nights, a bright light high in the clear sky, due south of here and at about 50 degrees. Any ideas what it is, I haven’t noticed it before?
ISS. That lights up like a beacon and I see it most nights out of my front bedroom window.
Most likely Jupiter, especially if it doesn’t move.
The ISS is bright but it moves around the Earth very quickly so you would only see it for a few minutes, and not every night.
2 Likes
Be very careful when looking for this planetary alignment - don’t try it when the Sun is in the sky - the magnification of the Sun’s light through a telescope or binoculars can cause instant eye damage, unless the viewing device is fitted with a special solar filter.
2 Likes
Below the moon to the right is usually Venus, above the moon and to the left is Saturn. Jupiter is way to the left by almost 90 deg. Hope that help.
1 Like
Do I have to make a human sacrifice?
Asking for a friend, obviously.
1 Like
Unless you have a suitable candidate in mind, I would suggest sacrificing a couple of parsnips to the Soup God.
1 Like
Are you trying to anger the gods sacrificing veg? 
1 Like
You’re right Corona, last night we clearly saw Venus, quite low in the sky, Saturn (faint), and Jupiter higher up on the left. But it was far too cold to stay and hunt any others!
1 Like
Fortunately the Soup God accepts offerings of tasty veg from his worshippers. The Kipper Goddess on the other hand… offend her at your peril.
1 Like
Bearing in mind of course that the Moon nips round the earth fairly smartly during the month so those relative alignments will change. Consult one of those night sky app thingies, or a website like the one I linked to earlier when replying to David.
You read my mind Chris 
As does his intergalactic cousin
2 Likes
I use the Starchart iPhone app. It’s very simple, and works outside and even through the window from inside the house. It shows pretty much everything, in red on a black background. Orion is up there at the moment.
I remember the soup dragon from the clangers 
1 Like
Yes indeed! That’s who @hairbear has shown above I think.
1 Like
Haven’t seen the moon, but this bright light was there again this evening, same place, due south 50 deg of elevation. It’s there now, just nipped to the ‘observatory’, dropped a bit to about 40 degrees amd moved a little more west to SW.
I’ll have to try and dig that telescope out tomorrow, I think I know where it is.
Self and telescopes are in France. Closest street lamps are 12 km away and have little or no light pollution.
I am planning to spend the night in the observatory. At present the night is forecasted to be clear.
1 Like
