What planet is currently near the moon?

Question

I see a very bright object near the moon at night. I assume it is a planet. What planet is currently near the moon?

Answer 1

Earth

Answer 2

There are no bright planets anywhere near the Moon at present. There are no bright stars nearby either. The nearest planet is Uranus, but it is not visible to the naked eye and is over 15 degrees away. The Moon was close to Jupiter about a week ago, but has since moved on. The Moon moves about 12 degrees across the sky every 24 hours.

I see the "guessers" are busy making random guesses at the answer. If you don't know the answer, please don't guess!

Answer 3

There are no planets currently "near" the moon.

Go download and load Stellarium and see for yourself - it's a cool free program.

The moon is near a few bright stars right now - but they are about 100+ light years away lol.

Answer 4

which night? how near?

if it was last night, and halfway across the sky, it was jupiter. the brightest object anywhere near the moon last night was fomalhaut, and it was only slightly closer than jupiter.

mars is nowhere near the moon at the moment.

Answer 5

That depends on what time you were looking at the moon, the time of year, and your location.

My first assumption would have to be that it is either Jupiter or Mars - two of the most commonly viewable planets form earth. ( that is if it were a planet)

However- with a little more information I could tell you exactly what it was.

Seeing as the position of the Moon will change relitively faster in the sky than that of the more distant planets, it all depends on when it was viewed (the time of night).  Jupiter is typically more easily viewed in the early moring, as are Venus and Mercury ( and are located near to the sun in the sky and viewable at sunset as well).  On a rare ocasion Saturn is also visable.  Mars is clearly the most visible and most often the brightest star in the sky, and when viewd close to the moon, would be one of the only things visible.

Answer 6

Another Moon Perhaps? Or a star?

Answer 7

ii highly doubt that it's a planet.

Answer 8

i was going to be a smartass and say earth but pretty sure it is jupiter that you see

Answer 9

Planet Earth

Answer 10

Are you looking through double glazing (at an angle).

Hopefully only the Earth is nearest the moon, or we are all in the deepest sloppy stuff.

Answer 11

Is it a solid light, or flickering?  Flickering means it's a star, solid means it's a planet.

Answer 12

Mars

Answer 13

Around 20th-22nd June, it was Jupiter.

On the 23rd, the Moon occulted Neptune (not a bright planet)

On the 25th, the Moon passed north of Uranus (also not bright).

There are currently no bright objects near the Moon (June 26)