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

It's not often I am grateful to next door's for waking me up pre-alarm

However, today I forgive him. I wandered blearily into my kitchen and caught sight of a sparkling jewel in the southern sky Venus, my first thought, then realised, nope, wrong direction, must be Jupiter. Where's Venus then? Looking out my eastern window there's Venus at -4mag Not only that, but there's a 1% and on the 40th anniversary of the landing I hadn't expected to see it at all, very soon it will be new and invisible to us except for those lucky enough to be in China to witness the total eclipse on Wednesday *waves to Beatrice*

Having made and drunk my I went outside for a proper view, as the clouds all seemed to be in the south, and still no sign of the dawn yet, even though I could hear the first blackbird. Above Venus Mars was plain enough, as was sparkling Capella, 42 light years away *sigh*, and Aldebaran, the eye of the Bull, to Venus' right. Below them and right on the horizon just above the school field, another star I couldn't identify so I popped back indoors and loaded Stellarium. It was epsilon Eridani (Sadira) that's just 10 light years away, it has a dust disc and its own solar system of 2 planets (that we know of). More info for those interested here: A31367856

GB

Stellarium is cool

Have you tried Celestia yet?

http://www.shatters.net/celestia/index.html

You may be interested to talk to this newbie 14075678 whom I've left links to the Astronomy Society and the BATS archive.

Or even U14075678