What's that bright thing in the sky? (astronomy ?)

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

Out fot a walk in S.E. Michigan at 4:30 this morning, and there was a very bright thing in the Southeastern sky. It looked as bright as Venus or Jupiter. The only things I could find at my favorite sky map site http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Yoursky, was Uranus and Neptune. Are either of those things as bright as Jupiter? Or is there a bright star in that general direction?

Nice day for a walk, anyway.

:hi:

[av8rdave]

1. I believe there is supposed to be a comet visible

I'm flying eastbound all night tomorrow night. Hope to see it then.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

4. Fly safe

Hands on the wheel, eyes on the road. Stargazing is just for the navigator.

:hi:

[av8rdave]

5. If only we had navigators!

[BlueJazz]

2. It's a Comet. Link here >>>

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/home/94277259.html

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. Thanks for the link

Even though comets are supposed to be bad omens. I'll have to take some binoculars on my next walk (if the sky stays clear).

:hi:

[tigereye]

18. thanks for the info!

[Rabrrrrrr]

6. That was the last of journalism's integrity flying away with Thomas' retirement.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

7. Journalistic integrity? No, this was much brighter.

But, it's a good theory.

:hi:

[pokerfan]

8. Stellarium says....

http://www.stellarium.org

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. Bingo! It's Jupiter!

The fourmilab.ch website showed only the symbol for Uranus. The two planets are aligned (from perspective of Earth) and the symbol for Jupiter was buried under the symbol for Uranus.

If the sky ever clears again (not in the near forecast), I'll haul out a scope and look for Jupiter's moons. I think four of them are visible using an inexpensive telescope.

:thumbsup:

[pokerfan]

14. Ah, there's Uranus

I had to go back into Stellarium and find Uranus. Had to back up an hour so it was darker. 3:30 AM...



A scope will give the best views but you can also see the four largest moons of Jupiter with a good pair of binoculars. Any decent planetarium program should identify them for you...

[Dr Morbius]

19. Thanks for the picture of beloved Altair.

Makes me homesick. :)

[Fire Walk With Me]

9. No other object as been misidentified as a flying saucer more often than the planet Venus.

Your scientists have yet to discover how neural networks create self-consciousness, let alone how the human brain processes two-dimensional retinal images into the three-dimensional phenomenon known as perception. Yet you somehow brazenly declare seeing is believing?

[MiddleFingerMom]

11. It definitely was NOT...

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...Myanus. I was still asleep in bed at that hour.
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Yep... just as I thought.
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...definitely not MINE!!!
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[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. I'll pass that info on to BP

They're always interested in drilling for methane.

:hi:

[Lucian]

12. Uranus and Neptune aren't bright at all in the sky...

it was Jupiter, or maybe that comet...

[smirkymonkey]

13. The Sun?

:freak:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

16. The sun might be up at 4:30am in NYC

But here at the other side of the eastern time zone, it's still dark. The good side of that is we can still play golf or tennis at 9:30pm.

:hi:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. I'd guess Jupiter.

Venus has been beautiful in the evening lately.