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

The moon and two of the planets are in a straight line diagonally across the sky.







Fan-fabulous, but which planets?

Jupiter and Venus, courtesy of the Google Skymap app what I have on my smartphone.

Do look at them, if you can.

Thank you Mr D!

I found a website yesterday called Heavens-Above, where you can see things like that, and also find out when the different satellites are passing overhead. It might be useful.

I'm 3,000+ miles away. Would they look the same from where I am?

I might also point out that Saturn is also up and visible (assuming no cloud), so with a pair of binoculars or a small telescope you can see

(a) the crescent of Venus
(b) the moons of Jupiter (Callisto, Europa, Ganymede and Io)
(c) the rings of Saturn.

I urge anyone with the resources to spend £30 at Toys R Us on a telescope or as little as £10 on a pair of binoculars and find and see these things for yourself.

This was advertised in advance...but I went and forgot to look. They were all within 10 degrees.

Venus and Jupiter have both been particularly bright for a while.

paulh, they'd look the same from where you are, but five hours later.

EtB - don't worry - they don't move across the sky that fast. Have a look tonight.

The moon moves quite fast. A day later it will be in quite a different position. But Venus and Jupiter will still be there in the evening sky just after sunset.

I'd have thought that the moon would have moved enough relative to the planets that the lineup wouldn't be quite so cool. From memory it's about 1/2h to 1h difference a day, isn't it?

Still, I'll look - although it's cloudy here. Then again...it was cloudy last night too.

Near . I was on the phone.

Incidentally...did anyone else hear an ear-splitting skreech? Or feel an urge to attack a tapir with an old bone?

Syzygy

Best centre half Dynamo Lodz ever had!

Mars is also highly visible in the sky. From West to East today: Venus (3) Jupitor (4) Moon (2) and Mars (5), so the 2nd to 5th brightest objects in the sky are all visible at the same time. I wasn't sure where Saturn was. Sirius, the dog star, the brightest star after the sun is also highly visible: to the west of (left of) Orion's belt. (UK view).

Not here they're not. Still cloudy.

Gnomon- I've always loved that word (and tried to use it in Scrabble with no chance of succeeding).

Saturn is down beside Spica. From where I'm looking, it hasn't risen yet. Should be up in about 5 minutes and visible in a few hours. Find Spica from the Plough:

Follow the arc of the tail to Arcturus, then continue on in the same direction to Spica.