Identifying a Bright Celestial Object in FL, USA - Eraniamayomii

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around identifying a bright celestial object observed in Florida, USA, at night. Participants explore potential candidates for the object based on its brightness, position, and visibility conditions, including whether it could be a star, planet, or satellite.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Eraniamayomii describes observing a bright celestial object in the southern sky at 38 degrees above the horizon, noting it did not twinkle and was not a satellite.
  • Some participants suggest that the object could be Jupiter, citing its brightness and position in the sky.
  • Others mention that Saturn is also visible but is generally not as bright as Jupiter.
  • One participant emphasizes that satellites are typically moving, while geostationary satellites are too faint to be seen easily.
  • There are suggestions for using binoculars or telescopes to observe the object more closely, particularly if it is Jupiter.
  • Participants recommend resources for learning about constellations and celestial navigation to aid in identifying stars and planets.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is a general consensus that the bright object is likely Jupiter, but some uncertainty remains regarding the identification of Saturn and the nature of the object observed by Eraniamayomii. No definitive conclusion is reached.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge that planets move over time and that visibility can be affected by atmospheric conditions, such as clouds.

Who May Find This Useful

Astronomy enthusiasts, beginners interested in stargazing, and individuals seeking to learn more about celestial objects and their identification.

Eraniamayomii
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I have always been facinated with the stars. I have never been actually able to identify them though. I guess I hadn't much care considering they all look quite similar to the naked eye.

Today I was outside looking at the stars, and though there were a number of stars out there, the house lights made the majority of them look dim. One star did stand out though, and this was pretty bright.

The star was facing South about 38 degrees off the horizon at 10pm EST. This is relative to FL, USA. It cannot be the North star becasue it is in the South, and it cannot be venus becasue Venus isn't underneath the Earth... It had an intensely high magnitude. It didn't twinkle, and just to make sure its not a satalite, I'll check on it's position in a bit.

Can anyone please help me to identify this bright celestial object? Maby step out on your decks, and take a look?


Love,

Eraniamayomii
 
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Ok. Just checked, and it's gone. There are clouds out now though, so I'm not sure if they just covered it up, or if it was a satalite and flew away... It's been about an hour since I last viewed it.
 
Satelites are generally moving (geostationary sats are too faint)
Saturn is visible at the moment. Check out http://www.nightskyinfo.com/
 
What you are describing is probably Jupiter. It is a magnificent sight, isn't it?
If you look at it in some binocs you might just be able to make out the 4 visible moons all lined up.

Check it out in a telescope if you can and you will see several dark bands across the disc of the planet.
 
mgb_phys said:
Satelites are generally moving (geostationary sats are too faint)
Saturn is visible at the moment. Check out http://www.nightskyinfo.com/

Saturn is visible just after sundown (looking due west) for only an hour or so this time of year.
 
It's probably Jupiter. Now, Jupiter is the brightest in the sky (except for Venus), and it tends to the south.
 
Oh, ok. That explains it. Thanks!
 
The best way to learn the stars is to start with a naked eye astronomy book and begin to learn the constellations. When you have identified a constellation you can then find the names of the individual stars.

Keep in mind that the planets move year to year, once you have learned the constellations you can watch the planets move across the sky.
 
chemisttree said:
What you are describing is probably Jupiter. It is a magnificent sight, isn't it?
Yes, it is almost certain to be Jupiter. Jupiter is about 40 degrees up at sunset, in the south (viewed from the US) and is brighter than anything else in the sky except Venus (which isn't up right now).

Saturn is not very bright and you wouldn't notice it without someone pointing it out to you.
 

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