Science and Exploration

SoNotHer · 01-01-2012, 09:21 PM

The year 2012 is starting off with a big bang, displaying all five visible planets within the course of a single night. By visible planet, we mean any planet that has been known since time immemorial, and can easily be seen with the unaided eye. In their outward order from the sun, the five visible planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

The sky’s brightest and second-brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter, respectively – pop out first thing at dusk. Look for the moon, the brightest heavenly object in the nighttime sky, and you simply can’t miss nearby Jupiter. And Venus, the most brilliant heavenly body after the sun and moon, blazes away in the southwest corner of the sky after sunset. Venus sets at early evening while Jupiter stays out till well past midnight.

The evening planets after dark on Sunday, January 1, 2012.

For the fun of it, we show the solar system’s two outermost planets, Uranus and Neptune, on our sky chart. Uranus, the seventh planet outward from the sun, was discovered in 1781, and Neptune, the eighth planet outward, was first seen in 1846. You’ll need an optical aid and a detailed sky chart to see either planet in the evening sky.

Where is the ecliptic in relation to the Milky Way?

As viewed from mid-northern latitudes, the moon and Jupiter swing pretty much due west around 11:00 p.m., at about the time the red planet Mars comes up in the east. Some three hours thereafter, at roughly 2:00 a.m. local time, Jupiter sets in the west as the ringed planet Saturn rises in the east. Watch for Mercury, the innermost planet, to climb above the southeast horizon some 80 to 60 minutes before sunrise.

Morning planets - Mars, Saturn and Mercury - at early dawn.

You don’t have to stay up all night long to see all five visible planets. Watch Venus and Jupiter beautify the evening shortly after sunset, and then catch Mars, Saturn and Mercury as the predawn darkness begins to give way to dawn.

From - http://earthsky.org/tonight/five-vis...f-the-new-year

01-01-2012, 09:21 PM	#11
SoNotHer Senior Member How Do You Identify?: Professional Sandbagger and Jenga Zumba Instructor Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: In the master control room of my world domination dreams Posts: 2,811 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 6,587 Thanked 4,735 Times in 1,409 Posts Rep Power: 21474851	If you don't have deep cloud cover as I do, you may have an amazing first night of sky viewing. The year 2012 is starting off with a big bang, displaying all five visible planets within the course of a single night. By visible planet, we mean any planet that has been known since time immemorial, and can easily be seen with the unaided eye. In their outward order from the sun, the five visible planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. The sky’s brightest and second-brightest planets – Venus and Jupiter, respectively – pop out first thing at dusk. Look for the moon, the brightest heavenly object in the nighttime sky, and you simply can’t miss nearby Jupiter. And Venus, the most brilliant heavenly body after the sun and moon, blazes away in the southwest corner of the sky after sunset. Venus sets at early evening while Jupiter stays out till well past midnight. The evening planets after dark on Sunday, January 1, 2012. For the fun of it, we show the solar system’s two outermost planets, Uranus and Neptune, on our sky chart. Uranus, the seventh planet outward from the sun, was discovered in 1781, and Neptune, the eighth planet outward, was first seen in 1846. You’ll need an optical aid and a detailed sky chart to see either planet in the evening sky. Where is the ecliptic in relation to the Milky Way? As viewed from mid-northern latitudes, the moon and Jupiter swing pretty much due west around 11:00 p.m., at about the time the red planet Mars comes up in the east. Some three hours thereafter, at roughly 2:00 a.m. local time, Jupiter sets in the west as the ringed planet Saturn rises in the east. Watch for Mercury, the innermost planet, to climb above the southeast horizon some 80 to 60 minutes before sunrise. Morning planets - Mars, Saturn and Mercury - at early dawn. You don’t have to stay up all night long to see all five visible planets. Watch Venus and Jupiter beautify the evening shortly after sunset, and then catch Mars, Saturn and Mercury as the predawn darkness begins to give way to dawn. From - http://earthsky.org/tonight/five-vis...f-the-new-year