h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've just been out to feed the cat.

The sky is frosted with stars.

The lawn is frosted with frost.

TRiG.

No frost on the ground here but there are so many stars - stars I could never see at the old house beautiful stuff, stars.

You sound rather happy for a Tuesday evening?

All you need now is a cake...

Sounds cracking - just stopped drizzling here.

Frost

It's stinking hot here and it's not even midday yet. Summer has arrived at last

We've had some cracker clear nights too though. TRiG and Wilma, you must not have too many street lights?

We live on the border of a large London park, so that must do it. Oddly enough, we used to live on the southern border but in a busier area... I don't know, maybe I want to see the stars from here

I saw Venus and Mercury earlier this evening. This was only the third time I had ever seen Mercury, the other two times being yesterday and the day before. Zube explained to me how to find it. I also saw Jupiter this morning. These clear skies are great!

It's been marvellously clear here too the past few nights, but I haven't been able to see Mercury - too much stuff in the way, and I've been working at dusk. I read this morning or yesterday that Mercury is at maximum elongation (at its furthest from the sun), making it easier than usual to spot for... some reason or other.

No frost here, but it is rather chilly. For these parts, anyway. We get a lot of clear nights (and days) in central Texas because there very often seems to be high pressure sitting on top of us. I really must try and get out of the city and have a proper look at the stars, away from the sodium glare.

It's been snowing here all night, so no star in sight. Can't remember the last clear night, but then I usually sleep during the nights anyway.

These clear skies are great!
Yes, I was out star-gazing for all of 5 minutes

but I did see glorious Venus in the early twilight (even before B'Elana's bedtime)

ooooh, Wilma can see for the first time!!!! When are we going to have a constellation-teaching session?

I've seen stars before been to Hollywood, me

Actually, I must come take lessons from you, I know the constellations by the childish names my grandfather made up for me when he used to call me to stargaze with him - I must have been 7 or 8... I presume you're offering...

to Annie's classroom with a

Since Mercury's orbit is smaller than ours and closer to the Sun, it's always near the Sun in our sky. Mercury being at its maximum elongation doesn't mean it's at its furthest from the Sun, it means it looks furthest from the Sun as seen from Earth.

Zube

Ah, thanks for the clarification.

Oh, and I saw it as I was walking to the laundry room It's out there right now, sinking gracefully over the horizon.

We do have street lights, but it's not too bad. When we wanted to do some real stargazing one time in December we went out to some friends about twenty miles away. But there was cloud low in the sky, so we couldn't see Saturn. Had a good look at the moon and some stars through a friend's telescope, though.

TRiG.