Sky Watch

[Frayed Knot]

Yes, this thread is back due to no popular demand whatsoever. But it's back anyway.

Today's tidbit is that the waxing gibbous (slightly larger than half and getting fatter) moon and Jupiter are in close proximity
tonight almost directly overhead just after sunset and for several hours afterward as they trek westward in tandem before
setting around midnight. Jupiter is the super bright star just to the east of the moon, you can't miss it.
They'll be about the same distance apart tomorrow night as well only they'll switch places as the moon uses the inside track
to slide onto the eastward side.



Oh, and Happy Solstice everyone!
There'll be increased daylight every day starting tomorrow so don't stick the sunscreen too far back in the closet.
You may need it sooner than you think.

[kcmets]

We were just out with the dog...

KB: Bright moon with that big star.
KC: That star is Jupiter.
KB: How do you know that?
KC: I know shit

[Fman99]

I'll have to look for that tonight, thanks FK

[The Hot Corner]

Just went out onto my front steps. Couldn't miss it. I would have just thought it was an unusually bright star, but because of this thread, I now know that it was Jupiter. Thanks for the information Frayed Knot.

[Frayed Knot]

The two are a bit closer tonight than last, although will get increasingly further apart as the moon drifts rapidly eastward over the coming days.

The brightness of the visible planets varies more than stars because their distance from us varies while the stars are (essentially) unchanging.
But, in general, the only objects brighter than Jupiter are the sun, moon, and Venus. A few stars will come close to the magnitude of V & J,
and also Mars (with its slightly reddish hue) but rarely surpass them. Venus, btw, is the super bright one rising about two hours ahead of
sunrise in the southeast sky if you happen to be out before first light.

[Edgy MD]

Heading out looking for a once-in-80,000-years comet that's supposed to be visible tonight.

[whippoorwill]

Don’t freeze

[metirish]

Heading out looking for a once-in-80,000-years comet that's supposed to be visible tonight.

About as hard to find as a clean Diaz inning, good luck

[Edgy MD]

Heading out looking for a once-in-80,000-years comet that's supposed to be visible tonight.

About as hard to find as a clean Diaz inning, good luck

A clean inning from Diaz!! I'm gonna have to look again tonight!!

[metirish]

Haha it's a sign

[Frayed Knot]

That's the very bright Venus right next to the waxing crescent moon in the southern sky tonight.
They'll set in the west shortly after 8PM EST

[MFS62]

Thanks for the heads-up.
But when I pointed my head up I saw clouds and got mixed precipitation in my face.
When will be the next time this is viewable?
Later

[Frayed Knot]

Not until ... tomorrow.
The only difference is that they won't be as close and they'll continue to get further apart every day.

[Frayed Knot]

Venus sets tonight around 8:30.
The moon about an hour later.

[Frayed Knot]

There was an increased amount of daylight today.
Did you notice?

[whippoorwill]

Not so far…

[Frayed Knot]

How could you not notice? There was maybe 10 or 15 seconds more daylight as compared to 12/21!!

During this week in December the sunrise/sunset times are at the 'bottom' of the curve and so barely changing at all even as the amount of daylight has technically started to turn in favor of us northern hemisphere types. The sunset times actually started getting later about two weeks ago but the days continued to get shorter because the sunrise times were still getting later at a faster pace than the sunset times were*.

Sunset bottoms out at around 4:30 in NYC (later still for the Pennsylvanians in the house) and I've long thought that you have to at least get past New Year's before it gets to be even slightly noticeable. For those 9-to-5'ers who may not go back to work until several days after NYD, the sunsets will have been marching towards 5PM for about three weeks by that point and picking up its pace. Still not enough to make it light at 5:00 but you may be able to detect it being just a tiny bit less dark by the time you leave the office and hit the streets.

But I still find it psychologically comforting to know that the days are lengthening even if you can't tell yet.




it all has to do with the earth not being a perfect sphere ... the earth, like its dominant inhabitants, has gotten a bit shorter top-to-bottom and a bit wider in the middle as it has aged

[whippoorwill]

Now it’s getting obvious :)

[Frayed Knot]

That's the very bright Venus right next to the waxing crescent moon in the southern sky tonight.

Venus is still very high and very bright, and the moon has completed a full lap since their last get together.
They're fairly close tonight; should be closer still tomorrow.
Visible (with clear skies of course) between sunset and about 8:30PM

[Edgy MD]

I saw Venus earlier tonight. Dramatically impressive.

[whippoorwill]

We saw it tonight!