What planet can we see from england?

Question

Over the past few weeks, when looking south (im in the south of england), there is an overly large bright star in the south. I can only imagine it's a planet.

I can't seem to find out where I can get an up to date easy to use chart - so - what is it in the sky?

Answer 1

The planet you ask about is Jupiter. Viewing Mars and Saturn are *very* doubtful since from your location the sun hasn't even set yet.

An excellent program for finding what's in your sky at any particular date / time is Stellarium. (http://www.stellarium.org/)

Answer 2

To check it out, get a pair of binoculars.  If you see 4 moons revolving around it, it is Jupiter.

Answer 3

That is Jupiter. Use the source to make a sky map. The symbol for Jupiter looks kind of like a number 4.

Answer 4

Jupiter. Theres a chart here

http://www.fourmilab.ch/yoursky/

(England is roughly maybe 50 deg latitude and zero longitude)

Jupiter is "the four-like symbol" which is directly south from you and I suspect that's what you're seeing. Use field glasses to look at it and you may see up to four tiny dots around it that are Jupiter's larger moons, that's the giveaway.

Uranus is the "circle with cross" on the chart but you won't see it without glasses.

Neptune "the trident" is there also but it is probably very difficult to see neptune even with field glasses.

Pluto is shown on the chart also but forget about seeing it unless you have access to Hubble.

Venus and Mercury disappear shortly after sunset because they are inward of earths orbit so you can't see them later at night.

So, probably Jupiter.

Answer 5

It is the planet Jupiter. It is low in the sky around midnight to 1am in the south. The reason for it being low down is due to the ecliptal plane - the sun is high up in summer during the day (obviously!!) due to the Earth being tilted towards the Sun. But the Moon, and planets will appear low at night time because the Earth is tilted away at night. In winter it is the other way round with the sun low down during the day, but the moon and planets appearing high up at night.

I looked at the 'star' a week or two ago through a small telescope, and it can be identified as Jupiter because of bands of cloud across it, and maybe up to 4 small stars near it, these being the largest of Jupiter's satellites. It may appear unusually large due to the illusion of being nearer the horizon.

Answer 6

Venus and sometimes Mercury in the early morning or early evening.

Mars can be seen also at night, with a slightly red hue.  Jupiter and Saturn are also visible.  A planet is discernable from a star because it does not twinkle.  This as something to do with a planet having no light of it's own:  Planets only reflect light.

Try googling the sky at night which is a BBC astronomy programme for further clarification.

Answer 7

Tonight, when it gets dark, if you go outside and look to the west, you'll see Mars and Saturn.  

A little later (maybe two hours later) if you look to the east, you'll see Jupiter rising.  

That's about it for the naked eye right now.  

Happy Skies!  :-)

Answer 8

At this time of year, you'll be seeing Jupiter - which is usually the brightest of the planets anyway.

Answer 9

Mercury. Sometimes Venus.

Answer 10

Sir who cares what we can see here from Great Britain, surly the question should be can our intergalactic chums see Great Britain so they can learn some manners! Rectal probing indeed not very British is it. Tip top.

Answer 11

where in the south? i havent noticed it to many clouds i think

Answer 12

All the planets are visible from England, though Mercury and Venus are currently very close to the Sun, and Uranus and Neptune are too faint to be seen with the naked eye. However, the one you're asking about is undoubtedly Jupiter, which will be in opposition on July 9 and currently dominates the southern sky from everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere (south of the Arctic Circle).

I don't know why people continue to post wild guesses like Mercury and Venus, or give thumbs down to those who have correctly answered Jupiter. Yahoo!Answers is truly a zoo without any keepers!

Answer 13

Well i don t know about England but i can see Jupiter in the south, low on the horizon from Scotland. If you use a good pair of Binoculars you can also see three of its moons, Ganymede, Callisto and Europa. Happy Stargazing.

Answer 14

Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn can all be seen from anywhere on Earth at some time during the year.

Right now, Jupiter rises in the southeast just after sunset and is visible most of the night.  It is very bright and almost due south around midnight.

Jupiter is at opposition, meaning it is as bright in our skies as it gets all year.

Venus is in the northwest but only in the early evening.

Mars and Saturn are both in the west in the early evening, setting before midnight.