La County residents...

[TRG]

Can anyone tell me if that is a star in the North west sky, or a satelite?
The wife and i are having a discussion over it! lol
She even had the nerve to freak herself out by saying it is a planet and its coming for us!:rolleyes:

[yopengo]

It is a planet. I think Venus.

[MikeF]

It's Venus Juzz!
Wait until you see Saturn through a telescope.......That'll really trip you out! :D

[TRG]

she's laughing in emberasment, but said "Its typical that Flannigan would know that"!
Thanks for your help guys!
Todd

[talkinghead]

Most likely you are seeing Venus, and just to the right of Venus is Saturn.
Ok, no one asked, but...in the southern sky about 1/2 up from the horizon around 9PM you will see Jupiter.
If you look at Jupiter (very bright, yellowish) with binoculars you will see 3-4 of Jupiters moons lined up around jupiter.

[sponger_2]

if it was a satellite it would be moving.

[MudPumper]

Todd, maybe you should spend more time working on the boat and less time staring at Uranus. :D

[Makinitdrip]

if its the super bright one, i asked a local astronomer the same question. He said it is the space station.

[OCMerrill]

if it was a satellite it would be moving.
Not all satelites move (well faster than the Big E spins).
"Geostationary Orbit" or moving with the speed of the Earth's rotation.
Example: Direct TV - they move, Dish Network - Stationary

[TRG]

if its the super bright one, i asked a local astronomer the same question. He said it is the space station.
So....any validity to this comment?... would be pretty cool if it was, cuz i would like to see the lights that illuminates that!
That thing,Planet,star...Asteriod,whatever, was friggin Bright last night!

[Rexone]

It's the 4th of July comet. Al Quieda has hijacked it's orbit and its scheduled to hit so cal tonight. It's a whole new approach to terrorism, disguised by fireworks shows.

[wsuwrhr]

if it was a satellite it would be moving.
and fast.

[3 daytona`s]

It's the 4th of July comet. Al Quieda has hijacked it's orbit and its scheduled to hit so cal tonight. It's a whole new approach to terrorism, disguised by fireworks shows.
get a day off? Have a good 4th:)

[GunninGopher]

Not all satelites move (well faster than the Big E spins).
"Geostationary Orbit" or moving with the speed of the Earth's rotation.
Example: Direct TV - they move, Dish Network - Stationary
I think what he meant was that if it was a satellite you could see, it would be moving. Geostationary satellites are way up there and are not visible to the eye.
They are also in the southern portion of the sky, and the initial question had the object in the northern part of the sky.
If something is really bright in the sky and doesn't appear to be moving, then it is probably a planet. If it is moving than it is probably either a plane or a satellite.

[Wet Dream]

if its the super bright one, i asked a local astronomer the same question. He said it is the space station.
I was under the same impression, but after doing some reading, it says that the ISS is moving across the sky, and is only visible from one to 14 minutes each pass. So, who knows.

[C-2]

It's Dr Evil ya dumbasses!

[SHOTKALLIN]

I saw this star a couple weeks ago. It flashes red. We thought it was a plane, Then we noticed it doesn't move.:jawdrop:

[thatguy]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the DTV satelite(s) move. They are basically over houston (south-center, perfect for consumer use) in a stationary orbit. There are 3 DTV sats., I believe. Most comsats (consumer) are in stationary, equatorial orbits. Signals are relayed from ground to sat., relayed around due to line of sight, then back to ground.
Anyway, Venus is almost always the first thing you will see in the sky. It will be visible even when the sun is still setting. Quick way to tell.
Planets tend not to "twinkle" since they are merely reflectors. Stars do, since they are emitting. Heres something to think on while star gazing in the jacuzzi. That star you see? The light may take, what, days? to reach earth? Maybe longer? It is feasable that you could be looking at a star that aint even there!! Just thought of that! :eek: :D :eek:
Gotta go!, Drink is empty and I am rolling!
Tommy
PS- remember those guys that had a ticket on a spaceship hidden behind the Halle Bop comet? In san-Diego, I think.

[1 Baja Guy]

We saw it too last up in Lake Arrowhead about 10:00pm freaked us out.

[talkinghead]

Alright I am your local backyard astronomer for the sandbar.
If you notice a star and it seems to be changing colors or is really red or green, that usually means it is burning neon. Otherwise it might be a red giant like beetlejuice.
I have looked at many satellites while observing, with the naked eye at most they will look like a star or point of light. The same is true with optics in general.
I have never seen a bright satellite - at the most as bright as polaris, the north star.
As far as I know, the only practical way to see the space station or shuttle and make out a shape is using optics against the sun. It looks like a shadow transiting the sun.
Venus is the 3rd brightest object in the sky after sun/moon.
And most likely you will never see uranus - while it is a gas giant, a large telescope is needed and even then detail is hard to see on uranus.