What's the planet?

[ckissick]

Since Venus is inside earth's orbit, we only see it at full phase, like a full moon, when it's farthest away from earth. Since brightness is proportional to the square of the distance, and the distances are so great, it's not very bright when it's in its full phase. It turns out that it's at its brightest when we can see only 26% of it, because it's very close at that time. In fact, at its brightest, it's 4.16 times brighter than when it's full. Right now it's at about 1/2 phase.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by ckissick

Since Venus is inside earth's orbit, we only see it at full phase, like a full moon, when it's farthest away from earth. Since brightness is proportional to the square of the distance, and the distances are so great, it's not very bright when it's in its full phase. It turns out that it's at its brightest when we can see only 26% of it, because it's very close at that time. In fact, at its brightest, it's 4.16 times brighter than when it's full. Right now it's at about 1/2 phase.

You clearly just made all of that up! It's only a matter of time before we start getting "super Venus" emails to go with the super Moon and super Mars emails..

Makes sense. It is quite bright lately.

So far I've managed to see Mercury, Venus, Earth (tough one!), Mars, Jupiter and the Galilean moons, Saturn, and Uranus. I still need to grab Neptune, Pluto, Ceres, and Vesta.

I also have this shirt.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by masraum

[COLOR="Green"]
I still need to grab Neptune, Pluto, Ceres, and Vesta.

How much aperture do you have? Or are you imaging instead?

Should anyone like a bit o' guidance

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-november-5-13/

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

How much aperture do you have? Or are you imaging instead?

I've got an 8" SCT, and I'm in Bortle class 3 skies.

Jupiter and Saturn are always great subjects. I never really get tired of looking at them. I haven't gotten a good look at Mars with my new scope since we moved to the country. Years ago with an 8" Dob in the 'burbs, or a very steady night, I managed to get Mars up to about 300x. I saw a polar ice cap and the "canals". It was pretty spectacular to see the detail.

At our new place, the double cluster and the Andromeda galaxy and its brighter companion galaxy are really easy to see unaided. And I often just look up when I take the dog out and marvel at the Milky Way.

I also want to get a good view of M51 at our new fairly dark homesite.

[carambola]

so was it Venus or Uranus?
i thought Uranus was last week?

[masraum]

Originally Posted by carambola

so was it Venus or Uranus?
i thought Uranus was last week?

Venus.

Venus is the 3rd brightest heavenly body after the Sun and the Moon.

Uranus is not visible to the naked eye (unless maybe you're a contortionist).

[3rd_gear_Ted]

Sights like this make you realize why ancient cultures worshipped the sky stuff for a long time.

Brings to mind; Chaco New Mexico and the 19 year lunar cycle they determined. That is a lot of sky staring, but what else was there to do.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by masraum

I've got an 8" SCT, and I'm in Bortle class 3 skies.

Jupiter and Saturn are always great subjects. I never really get tired of looking at them. I haven't gotten a good look at Mars with my new scope since we moved to the country. Years ago with an 8" Dob in the 'burbs, or a very steady night, I managed to get Mars up to about 300x. I saw a polar ice cap and the "canals". It was pretty spectacular to see the detail.

At our new place, the double cluster and the Andromeda galaxy and its brighter companion galaxy are really easy to see unaided. And I often just look up when I take the dog out and marvel at the Milky Way.

I also want to get a good view of M51 at our new fairly dark homesite.

I have a CPC 800 but I'm under Bortle 4+. The brighter planets are good here and Mars at opposition with good seeing is nice. Andromeda is just a smudge here as is the Orion Nebula but the Trapezium really pops in my WO GTF 102.