Planet for December and January is Mars

[Skywatcher]

Gets better throughout the month to reach its peak brightness and size right at the end of January.

In the Uk if you manage to get a break in the clouds look East/Southeast at about 11pm and you will see a non shimmering very obviously red/orange disc star like object that is the red planet - hard to think we have 2 little robots pootling about on its surface at the moment.


As the Month progress' it will rise earlier and get bigger and through binoculars be an obvious disc.

Now its a lot smaller than the massive gas giants and you'll be hard pushed to see the moons but through a scope you will see a small orange/red surface - take your time to look at it through a telescope if you have one as it takes some time for your eyes to become adapted but 'trust me on this' when you do start to see detail it can be quite astonishing you can clearly see dark patches of the rocky surfaces and the polar caps are obviusly white - but it takes time to 'learn' to see them

If and when I get a clear night and its not too windy I'll try and take some pics but its going to be a good'Mars season' as the planets ride high in the Northern sky in the Winter as we are tilted towards them and this means more stable atmosphere and clearer views

let me know if you need any help or think you can see him

[ukwdwnut]

cool thx for the info chris

have you been watching the universe programmes on nat geo....very very interesting indeed, last night there was a prog on about the return to the moon

[Dawn]

Please Mr Skywatcher, is that still Jupiter high in the southern direction that the moon has been near the past few days?

Stood my tripod in the middle of our road in the ice and snow and took a few shots.

[Skywatcher]

Yep Jupiter is heading west with the moon at the moment - it was so clear the other night ( inbetween the clouds) that I could see 3 moons around jupiter with my cheapo 8x50 binoculars! and the orion Nebula!!

[Keith]

I just got this Google Sky Map for the Android phone which is kinda handy and with its help and the good sir.skywatcher's instructions, I'm starting to see more than I imagined possible even with just some old tired eyes

[Dawn]

This was my best.

Stood in the middle of the road with the tripod on a sheet of ice.

It's for Steven's homework really as next term they are learning about Space.

[Skywatcher]

There is definitely a moment when you finally look up into the night sky and 'see' the constellations - it took me several months and TBH there are still some I cant see properly cos of light pollution and the fact they are a bit 'weird' but it comes with time.

the free apps - Planets ( shows you where the planets are and the constellations around them at night from your GPS location) and Distant Suns lite are both good starting points

Good constellations to try and spot this month are

Ursa Major - the plough to the North

Cassiopea - a big W overhead

Taurus - a big V with a gorgeous orage star at the heart of the 'head' and the beginning of the horns - high to the south/southeast with the pliedes open cluster ( looks like a mini plough) close by

Orion - most people can find this to the South rising at about 9 ish at the moment

and if you look left of Betelgeuce ( the orange star top left of orion and follow it about 2 handspans or so to the left you come accross 2 stars 1 above th e other which marks Gemini

keep at it and it will come

[Dawn]

Cassiopea - a big W overhead

Was out walking the dog a few nights ago and the sky was so clear I was staring up all the time. The big W was so stunning that I walked into a lamp post while admiring it.

Dog not impressed.

[Skywatcher]

That great Dawn more than I have managed for 3 months - you have taken a picture of our moon and the surface of another world - they call these 'close encounters' conjunctions so thats a conjunction of the moon and Jupiter and the exposure time is bang on so there is no trailing and its not burned out - its actuially quite a hard thing to do

Now lets see ifyou can get Mars later on in the year

[Skywatcher]

Was out walking the dog a few nights ago and the sky was so clear I was staring up all the time. The big W was so stunning that I walked into a lamp post while admiring it.

Dog not impressed.

If you let your eyes become accustomed to the dark the big W is drenched in starsas it lies in the plane of the milky way