Post by AhkneeKitteen on Mar 7, 2012 0:11:47 GMT -5
aka, Ahknee's Guide to the Skies!
I guess this'll be my way of being just a touch more active so I can at least sign on once a week or so to talk about what's happenin' in the big blue above us all. This, of course, pertains mostly to my area, though it should apply relatively closely to anyone else situated in the USA.
There should be five planets visible in the sky for a while - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. I'll even do little maps for y'all!
Orion is visible this time of year (as it is a good chunk of the time, actually), though I'm not particularly sure of certain times - it's easy to spot, though, as long as you have a clear view of the sky. It usually comes out relatively late these days - I'd say after 10 PM.
At sunset, look to the west:
Mercury tends to hover very close to the horizon, so I'm unable to see it because of the mountains blocking the way. Venus is brighter and bigger to the eye than Jupiter, which shone quite brightly last year when it was extremely close to the earth.
To the east:
Mars will be shining a bit red (go figure), and though it's small in relation to Venus, it's still bright compared to any other stars that are out at the time. Right above the moon you'll see the bright star Regulus.
Later, in the east:
Saturn will have a faint yellow color to it and appear an hour or so after Mars is visible. Nearby will be Spica, so if you have trouble spotting them, look for two bright stars nearby each other.
Other constellations and stars are, of course, visible in the sky, so refer to this pdf chart if you're curious on more.
After tomorrow night, only four planets will be visible. If you have a pair of binoculars, try them out, too.
I guess this'll be my way of being just a touch more active so I can at least sign on once a week or so to talk about what's happenin' in the big blue above us all. This, of course, pertains mostly to my area, though it should apply relatively closely to anyone else situated in the USA.
There should be five planets visible in the sky for a while - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. I'll even do little maps for y'all!
Orion is visible this time of year (as it is a good chunk of the time, actually), though I'm not particularly sure of certain times - it's easy to spot, though, as long as you have a clear view of the sky. It usually comes out relatively late these days - I'd say after 10 PM.
At sunset, look to the west:
Mercury tends to hover very close to the horizon, so I'm unable to see it because of the mountains blocking the way. Venus is brighter and bigger to the eye than Jupiter, which shone quite brightly last year when it was extremely close to the earth.
To the east:
Mars will be shining a bit red (go figure), and though it's small in relation to Venus, it's still bright compared to any other stars that are out at the time. Right above the moon you'll see the bright star Regulus.
Later, in the east:
Saturn will have a faint yellow color to it and appear an hour or so after Mars is visible. Nearby will be Spica, so if you have trouble spotting them, look for two bright stars nearby each other.
Other constellations and stars are, of course, visible in the sky, so refer to this pdf chart if you're curious on more.
After tomorrow night, only four planets will be visible. If you have a pair of binoculars, try them out, too.