Anyone into astronomy

stevemcol

Didn't want to annoy people on a serious astronomy forum with this since it's probably obvious to those in the know.
There's an incredibly bright star/planet/object in the night sky. Much much brighter than anything else. From my location (lancs) it was in the South West sky at about 30° elevation at 18:30.

Anyone tell me what it is before this thread gets relegated to the Money Savers Arms.

geoffW

I would say it was Venus.
Check the Jodrell Bank website.

johnrp007

It's Venus

stevemcol

Thanks. Any reason why it's so bright recently? And while I've got your attention..... a couple of moths ago, I think there was another planet leading it through the sky. Any idea what that would have been?

Debt_Free_Chick

stevemcol wrote: »

Thanks. Any reason why it's so bright recently? And while I've got your attention..... a couple of moths ago, I think there was another planet leading it through the sky. Any idea what that would have been?

Almost certainly Jupiter - photo on the National Geographic site when both were aligned with the Moon too. I missed here ..... cloudy! :mad: