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

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/19mar_planets.htm?list860672

Go look out tonight, and see how many you can spot!

Oh, and who would like to bet that the east coast of England will be clouded out, just because I've announced this?

Which planets are they? Will they be visible from the Baltic region?

Mind you, we've got loads of clouds here too right now

Sorry, just checked the link which I didn't spot before

!!!

Hello Inkwash!

Good luck with the viewing.

Yes, there's even a map of the sky & directions to look for the planets at that link.

Kind, aren't I?

If you're really lucky and it's clear, you'll see 6. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn Jupiter and then look down and there's another one

I shall take a look, providing it is clear, of course.

I have downloaded an astronomy program for my pda, so there is a faint chance I might actually see what I'm meant to to be seeing rather than planes approaching Heathrow and Gatwick

Well good luck, rest of the

You don't need to ask what the weather is like in good ol' Blighty.





'snot fair.

If it's any comfort, the sky is all covered by clouds over Sweden too...

I forgot to look, but there are loads of stars

Central Scotland's too cloudy tomight but Venus and Jupiter have been superb for a week or two.

oh!oh!oh!



The sky is crystal-clear and I've been spotting with my binoculars

I've found 4 so far......I reckon it's too late for Mercury.

Oh well.



Thank you God of Clear Skies for smiling on me at last!!!!!!!!

The Orion nebula is clearly visible to the naked eye and it's stunning through my binoculars.

Oh, and the Plaiedes



Galaxy Babe is in Heaven..........

If it wasn't for all the trees, I would have had a really clear view! But I managed to make out quite a few constellations with the aid of the program and I saw Venus and Saturn, I think.

I couldn't find the binoculars, so had to rely on my .

Lucky you GB. It's cloudy over here in North Wales and even when it wasn't earlier there was still cloud in the west so no view of Mercury.

I have been looking at Jupiter and Saturn for the last few weeks with the nice cleaned telescope (thanks to Orion Optics). I also managed to make out the Trapezium (the 4 main stars) in the Orion Nebula, a first for me! and some more Messier objects even though the challenge has finished.

Take a good look at the cresent moon too and see if you can make out mountain peaks at the very top and bottom of the limb.

turvy

Hi Caerwynn

Which program did you get for your PDA? I got one for Palm OS 5 which is pretty poor (freeware - although that is no guide).

turvy

Mine is Planetarium, it was quite a bargain I thought. It is for serious astromoners as well as ignorant 'ooh that's a pretty ' types like me! I got it from PalmGear and I have now problems with it on my Tungsten T.

You can set your location and use it anywhere in the world adding co-ordinates that aren't already in the fairly extensive list of cities.

Mine is Planetarium, it was quite a bargain I thought. It is for serious astromoners as well as ignorant 'ooh that's a pretty ' types like me! I got it from PalmGear and I have no problems with it on my Tungsten T.

You can set your location and use it anywhere in the world adding co-ordinates that aren't already in the fairly extensive list of cities

Planetarium, I will have to look out for that - there's no PalmGear store near here, I think but there's a Game store that sells CD-Roms...it is a CD Rom?

Hi GB

PalmGear is a website (http://www.palmgear.com/).
I searched for Planitarium from the front page and got a result first time.

The software is shareware with a dollar price and a demo option. I hope the Windoze download works on a Mac!?

turvy

Thanks turvy

"The software is shareware with a dollar price and a demo option. I hope the Windoze download works on a Mac!?"



Can you say that in English?

I'll checkout the site,