Couldn't help but notice how bright Venus was in the NW sky last night
after sunset (between 22:00 - 23:00 BST). Mars could also be easily
spotted higher in the WSW, and Saturn was just above the Moon in the
South.

This site is very useful, you can put your coordinates in and have a
virtual sky for your location.

http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yourhorizon

An explanation of the symbols for the solar objects can be viewed
here. http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/help/icons.html

Venus (currently magnitude -4.0) will continue to dominate the western
evening sky right through the early to mid summer period before being lost
in the twilight glare by late August.

One to look out for is on the 15th June when Venus and the Moon (which will
be a 3 day old crescent) will form a nice pairing in the early evening sky
with Mars and Saturn further east completing a arc of the ecliptic.
______________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http:\\www.ottervalley.co.uk

Thanks Nick,

I'll look out for that, if the skies are clear.

Must drag myself away from the computer and get out in the sun, off
for a walk over to Shaldon and a few beers at the Ferryboat.

On May 23, 11:58*am, Bonos Ego wrote:
Thanks Nick,

I'll look out for that, if the skies are clear.

Must drag myself away from the computer and get out in the sun, off
for a walk over to Shaldon and a few beers at the Ferryboat.

Oh! heaven. Been in writing a report all day! 8((

On May 23, 11:45*am, "Nick Gardner"
wrote:
Venus (currently magnitude -4.0) will continue to dominate the western
evening sky right through the early to mid summer period before being lost
in the twilight glare by late August.

One to look out for is on the 15th June when Venus and the Moon (which will
be a 3 day old crescent) will form a nice pairing in the early evening sky
with Mars and Saturn further east completing a arc of the ecliptic.
______________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http:\\www.ottervalley.co.uk

Venus is at greatest eastern elongation on 22 August (45°) which
should make it easiest to see but the altitude at sunset is becoming
very low due to the inclination of the ecliptic at sunset and the
inclination of Venus' orbit. So it won't be lost in the glare of the
sun so much as lost in the horizon murk. The sun itself will be well
to the west. There will only be a short period when Venus is
visible. By 9 October it sets at the same time as the sun though
still 28° to its east.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

On May 24, 1:31*am, Tudor Hughes wrote:
On May 23, 11:45*am, "Nick Gardner"

wrote:
Venus (currently magnitude -4.0) will continue to dominate the western
evening sky right through the early to mid summer period before being lost
in the twilight glare by late August.

One to look out for is on the 15th June when Venus and the Moon (which will
be a 3 day old crescent) will form a nice pairing in the early evening sky
with Mars and Saturn further east completing a arc of the ecliptic.
______________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http:\\www.ottervalley.co.uk

* * * Venus is at greatest eastern elongation on 22 August (45°) which
should make it easiest to see but the altitude at sunset is becoming
very low due to the inclination of the ecliptic at sunset and the
inclination of Venus' orbit. *So it won't be lost in the glare of the
sun so much as lost in the horizon murk. *The sun itself will be well
to the west. *There will only be a short period when Venus is
visible. *By 9 October it sets at the same time as the sun though
still 28° to its east.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, *Surrey.

That leads on to a possible subtlety of spring vs autumn which I've
never actually noticed but I guess must be the case. In spring the
ecliptic has a very steep angle at sunset, while around the autumn
equinox it's a very shallow angle. I guess that must mean that around
the autumn equinox, the sun is much lower in the sky than around the
spring equinox. This would lead to an extended period of low-
elevation, "evening" sunlight in the autumn compared to the spring, so
September early evenings have weaker light than those of late March or
early April.

Nick

On May 24, 8:30*am, Nick wrote:
On May 24, 1:31*am, Tudor Hughes wrote:



On May 23, 11:45*am, "Nick Gardner"

wrote:
Venus (currently magnitude -4.0) will continue to dominate the western
evening sky right through the early to mid summer period before being lost
in the twilight glare by late August.

One to look out for is on the 15th June when Venus and the Moon (which will
be a 3 day old crescent) will form a nice pairing in the early evening sky
with Mars and Saturn further east completing a arc of the ecliptic.
______________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http:\\www.ottervalley.co.uk

* * * Venus is at greatest eastern elongation on 22 August (45°) which
should make it easiest to see but the altitude at sunset is becoming
very low due to the inclination of the ecliptic at sunset and the
inclination of Venus' orbit. *So it won't be lost in the glare of the
sun so much as lost in the horizon murk. *The sun itself will be well
to the west. *There will only be a short period when Venus is
visible. *By 9 October it sets at the same time as the sun though
still 28° to its east.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, *Surrey.

That leads on to a possible subtlety of spring vs autumn which I've
never actually noticed but I guess must be the case. In spring the
ecliptic has a very steep angle at sunset, while around the autumn
equinox it's a very shallow angle. I guess that must mean that around
the autumn equinox, the sun is much lower in the sky than around the
spring equinox.

Sorry I missed out a crucial point, I meant to say: "around the autumn
equinox, the sun is much lower in the sky about an hour before sunset
compared to the spring equinox"

Nick

On May 24, 8:31*am, Nick wrote:
On May 24, 8:30*am, Nick wrote:





On May 24, 1:31*am, Tudor Hughes wrote:

On May 23, 11:45*am, "Nick Gardner"

wrote:
Venus (currently magnitude -4.0) will continue to dominate the western
evening sky right through the early to mid summer period before being lost
in the twilight glare by late August.

One to look out for is on the 15th June when Venus and the Moon (which will
be a 3 day old crescent) will form a nice pairing in the early evening sky
with Mars and Saturn further east completing a arc of the ecliptic.
______________________
Nick
Otter Valley, Devon
83 m amsl
http:\\www.ottervalley.co.uk

* * * Venus is at greatest eastern elongation on 22 August (45°) which
should make it easiest to see but the altitude at sunset is becoming
very low due to the inclination of the ecliptic at sunset and the
inclination of Venus' orbit. *So it won't be lost in the glare of the
sun so much as lost in the horizon murk. *The sun itself will be well
to the west. *There will only be a short period when Venus is
visible. *By 9 October it sets at the same time as the sun though
still 28° to its east.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, *Surrey.

That leads on to a possible subtlety of spring vs autumn which I've
never actually noticed but I guess must be the case. In spring the
ecliptic has a very steep angle at sunset, while around the autumn
equinox it's a very shallow angle. I guess that must mean that around
the autumn equinox, the sun is much lower in the sky than around the
spring equinox.

Sorry I missed out a crucial point, I meant to say: "around the autumn
equinox, the sun is much lower in the sky about an hour before sunset
compared to the spring equinox"

Nick- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

That's not actually what happens because although it's true that
the ecliptic has a much shallower angle to the horizon at autumn
sunsets than at spring ones, the sun does not move relative to the
observer along the ecliptic but along a line parallel to the plane of
the equator, or actually on it. The plane of the equator makes the
same angle with the horizon whatever the time of year. (90° minus
latitude). This, of course may not be the time of sunset but the
principle applies.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.

On Sun, 23 May 2010 11:45:54 +0100, "Nick Gardner"
wrote:

Venus (currently magnitude -4.0) will continue to dominate the western
evening sky right through the early to mid summer period before being lost
in the twilight glare by late August.

One to look out for is on the 15th June when Venus and the Moon (which will
be a 3 day old crescent) will form a nice pairing in the early evening sky
with Mars and Saturn further east completing a arc of the ecliptic.

I had a marvellous surprise a week or two ago when arriving home from
Tescos, I stopped to admire Venus then saw something equally bright
moving towards me, not far to its left (S). I quickly realised that it
was the International Space Station which, for the first time, I had
spotted without having any idea in advance when it was due to pass
overhead. It was a really bright pass, can't have been far from
magnitude -4.

I stood transfixed as Venus and the ISS vied with each other for
domination of the Sky, well for a few minutes anyway until the ISS
faded in the East. Sadly, I did not have time to find my camera and
attempt a photo.

--
Dave
Fareham