Connect Four (or Five)

Posted by @ 12:12 pm on Saturday 25th February, 2012.
Categories: Astrostuff

You'll all have noticed the line of lights in the south-western sky at about 18:30 GMT yesterday evening, no?

It's not the greatest of pics but it's the best I could do in a rush:

This is what you get: upper-left = Jupiter, middle = Venus, lower-right = our Moon

The 4th in the line is Jupiter's moon Ganymede (a tiny dot really close to Jupiter, you'll need to look at the full-size pic to find it).

Other folk have also seen Mercury (even lower than and further right of our Moon) from their locations, but from here it was down in the light-polluted clag.

There'll be similar such alignments in the south-western sky for several nights - have a look, take some pics, see what you can catch - here's what's on offer just after sundown on Monday:

Just don't go being stupid and looking directly at the Sun - it's another one of those things that'll make you go blind 😯

4 Responses to “Connect Four (or Five)”

  1. Kev says:

    It's a fascinating sight, right enough and, if folk turn round and look behind them, Mars is currently low in the East.

    See me? See Astronomy? 8)

  2. BG! says:

    Hello stranger, long time no see!

    Just took your advice. Turned around, didn't see Mars, only saw a plant on a shelf. Mind you, I was in the kitchen at the time :mrgreen:

  3. Kev says:

    Ha! I see what you did there 🙂

    Don't listen to him. Outside folks. That's where you need to be.

  4. Mark says:

    I did notice this on Friday - Venus and Jupiter were bright even whilst it was still reasonably light. If, and it's a big if, it's cloud free again on, errr..later today, I shall definitely get outside and take a gander - thanks for the warning.

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