Anyone know about stars? Is it Venus I can see???

[TricityBendix]

That's it really.

I seem to remember hearing on the radio this week that you can see Venus at the moment really low in the west. I've just been in the garden and there's something - Not an aeroplane!!

How do I find out what it is?

What to look for in June

Thanks St George, that certainly says that Venus can been seen very brightly in that direction. How exciting! (sorry I'm clearly a tremendous anorak aren't I) But I still wonder if I could be confusing it with something else. I don't generally track these things...

If it twinkles, it's a star. If the light is constant, then it is a planet.

If it's a planet, it's venus

Oooh, just read it a bit more closely:

"Don't worry about wondering if you're looking at the right thing, Venus is unmistakable in its brightness!"

Wow!

well, am not an expert, but I always understood that the Earth only has one natural satellite and you can't miss that, it looks like this

Don't know about artificial satellites though.

25 million miles away!

If the earth's circumfrence is 25,000 miles that's 1000 times around the earth???

I don't think you can see any artificial ones, although I'm sure someone with waaaay more knowledge than me will come along and say different.

The only constellation I actually know every time is Orion.

When you say artificial satellites you mean the big metal ones they send up?

yep

Well I was under the impression I'd watched them when I was camping in northern europe and every few minutes the same one came over in teh same direction at regular intervals. The bloke we were with said they were satellites orbiting the earth. I guess that might sound a bit dim now and they were probably planes on the same flight path. But they were at regular intervals. How quickly do satellites orbit the earth? Or don't they?

Oo oo I can do dippers though! I know those...

What do you need to know Sqonk?

dp seems to think that I know my dippers (unless they're of the reformed chicken variety I haven't a clue) and he also thinks I know Taurus as it's his birth sign and I should know it

can you see artificial satellites from the Earth?

(thank you for popping over)

Breaking news....

The Coffee has been located and detained!!!

see everyone, told you someone would come along and tell me I was talking bunkum.

As to what they do, kerrymum..... dunno

Artificial satelittes - I woulnd't have thought so. I expect they would be wayyyyy to small. I wouldn't even expect you to see them with a household telescope.

thank you SMS

I stand corrected by KerryMum.