Evening planet show favors southern hemisphere
4 comments Print Me Email to FriendTonight is Sunday, Aug 31 2008
Our chart shows the evening sky as it appears from Santiago, Chile. Santiago’s latitude of 33.5 degrees south of the equator is comparable to the latitude of Cape Town, South Africa or Canberra, Australia.
This grouping of the planets – Venus, Mercury and Mars – is much better seen from the southern hemisphere. These planets and the razor-thin waxing crescent moon are still above Santiago’s horizon at one hour after sunset. At one hour after sunset at mid-northern latitudes, the crescent moon, Venus and Mercury will have already set!
At our mid-northern latitudes, we probably won’t see these planets (with the possible exception of Venus) because they’re obscured by the twilight dusk. Mercury and Mars are even hard to see with binoculars. The evening crescent moon is virtually impossible to catch – with or without an optical aid.
Why does the southern hemisphere have the big advantage for seeing these evening planets and the young moon? It’s because the ecliptic – the path of the sun, moon and planets – arcs high across their late-winter evening sky. In the northern hemisphere, the ecliptic follows a low path across our late-summer evening sky, so here these planets and the young crescent set much sooner after sunset!
Hi, I live in 19020 zip code. my husband passed away in April and now there is a star or planet right about our driveway when I walk the dolg. How do I find it’s name?
Thanks.Liz
Hi, I live in 11978 and i saw what looked to be a blue “star” about 30 degrees up to the west. It was very bright, as prominent as Jupiter, yet according to the almanacs its not uranus. any ideas what i was looking at?
Liz and Mac,
I’ll try my best to identify these objects for you, but more information would be helpful. Can you give me an approximate time you were looking and in what direction the object was shining? Also, if you could give me the name of your state or city, that would work better for me than your zip code.
Thanks!
Bruce
sup