Cumbrian Sky

The next time the night sky is clear, what will you be able to see?

Well, we can still catch a glimpse of the planet JUPITER shining low in the south-west after sunset, but it is past its best now. However, the "red planet", MARS, is now clearly visible in the east after dark, rising late in the evening and looking like an orange-red "star" throughout the night. Later in the year Mars will rise at sunset and be visible all night, looking much brighter to the naked eye and very impressive through a telescope. Eddington AS will be holding a special "Mars Night" near Christmas at which you'll be able to come and see Mars' ice caps and dark surface markings through our telescopes, so keep an eye on the Westmorland Gazette - and this website - for more details of that...

What else is there to see? Well, the INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION is visible in the evening sky again, looking like a very bright blue-white star that rises in the west then scoots across the sky before fading away in the east. Here are the times you want to be looking for it over the next few days...

14th: 19.30 (v bright!!)

15th: 19.52

16th: 20.15

17th: 19.00

18th: 19.30

It's easy seeing the space station: just go outside at the time given above, and wait for a bright "star" to cross the sky from right to left - that's the space station!

If you're an early riser you can see VENUS blazing away before dawn in the east, bright as a lantern and impossible to miss. From a dark location you can actually see Venus casting shadows, so you'll have no trouble spotting it even if you live in a town or a city. If you have binoculars, aim them at Venus and you'll be able to see the planet looking like a tiny, tiny crescent at the moment.

Finally, keep an eye open for SHOOTING STARS too on the next clear, dark night; every October the Orionid meteor shower takes place, and the numbers of meteors - or shooting stars - visible throughout the night increases. Forget trying to count them, and don't worry about wondering in advance how many you'll be able to see, just go outside late on the next clear night... and wait... eventually you'll see a shooting star skate silently across the sky.

Happy sky-watching!

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