Stargazing in the Spring of 2015! What planets and stars to look for.
This is a great time of year to look into the skies!
Even though we have rain, ice and snow storms to deal with in the Spring, there usually are enough clear nights to enjoy watching the stars and neighboring planets. In fact, I find Spring to be a great season for just that. Every year appears to be a bit different as things are always moving in space. So I hope you read on as I attempt to show you what to look for!
So, check this out.
I have noticed several bright planets this Spring and wanted to help you locate them. As they often are, they are spread out and may be hard to locate and identify.
What is Visible?
I was out tonight and saw these beautiful planets. Now, I want to help you enjoy them!
I will list them in order of most visible first.
Venus- In the west you will see a big "star like" light. This is a planet but it's blaze is amazing in March! Other than the moon, Venus is the biggest light you will see in our sky. It is just above and to the right of the moon, on most nights.
Jupiter- Though much biggest than Venus, Jupiter looks a lot smaller. Find Venus and you find Jupiter. Jupiter is about 6 inches East fof Venus, and though smaller in appearance, it is still bright. These two planets will continue to separate so, you may need to look harder for Jupiter.
Mars- ( my favorite planet. I hope to return to it someday! LOL) Look high and to the East. Look straight above you and East about 1/2 a foot. This is the only planet that is NOT white! Mars is a yellow/orange at this distance. When closer like it was in the 80's, it looks like tomato soup. Mars moves more that any other planet in the Spring. It is straight above us and east of the moon.
Saturn- This is small and hard to find. Look in the East at about 9pm to the left of the moon. TIP- At 9pm, everything is visible but Mercury, so I recommend that you try it then. Saturn is staying low this year and about 10-14 inches above the horizon.
Mercury- You can only see this one at dusk. Look to the western horizon right after sunset and you will see this one. It is pretty bright, but then, it disappears.
Uranus - Is closer to us than it has been in recent years. Venus will be the brightest and then this one will be the next.
Good luck, stay warm, and enjoy our beautiful universe! Oh, and please leave a comment and vote up!
Check out the Planets! They are usually brighter than stars
