Bright star near the moon?

Question

Hi, I'm in the UK. Every night when i look out roughly east I see a really bright star, whih then proceeds to "move" northwards throughout the night. I first noticed the star two, maybe three months ago which if odd as several people also commented on seeing it first around then!?
Could anyone tell me what it is please?

sorry i did mean its in the west not the east, my bad!

Answer 1

It is Jupiter. If you look in the opposite side, meaning the west, you see Venus. Because the planets move around in the night sky during the year, one don't always see them. But certain times in the year they become visible. It is similar to the movement off the moon. Each night the moon rises at a different time during a lunar month.

Answer 2

Bright Star Near Moon

Answer 3

I'm confused by your description of directions. Are you sure you don't mean west rather than east? Any object visible in the east in the evening would move towards the zenith (overhead) as the night goes on, not towards the north. Currently the two brightest objects in the sky at dusk are the planet Venus, which is in the _west_ just after dark, and moves northward, setting in the northwest; and the planet Jupiter, which rises in the southeast and skims along the southern horizon to set in the southwest. The brightest object in the east is the star Vega, about half way up the sky at evening twilight, and overhead at morning twilight; it is nowhere near as bright as Venus or Jupiter, and never is anywhere near the Moon.

Answer 4

What time of night are you usually looking?

Jupiter is rising in the east around sunset these days and certainly if you were here in Australia I'd say it fits your description. However, since you are in the UK Jupiter should move more to the south as it rises higher in the sky before fading in the west before dawn.

Perhaps it is one of the brighter stars like Vega.

Can you sense that it is flickering or shimmering? Even a bright star like Vega will twinkle but Jupiter's light should be quite steady.

Answer 5

Can you identify constellations?

I think it might be Vega. I know there are planets (Saturn and Venus) in toward the west at night and they move north (ish) during the night. Its confusing though that a star may appear in the East and move North.

Maybe the link i provide will help!

EDIT: I think it's Jupiter though still not sure :) Think i'll have a look myself tonight.

Answer 6

I would be tempted to say it is the planet Venus but if it was it would move more to the west than the north.

Answer 7

Venus.

Doug