For Southeast Missouri skywatchers, What is the super bright starlike object in the sky late in the night?

Question

I've been observing this for over a month. It is very visible and low around 3:30 a.m. Then as time progresses, it moves northward as the sun comes up. Then it isn't visible. Some have said it was comet Holmes, some have said it might be Venus. I have never seen a star this bright and low ever before. On a clear night you can't miss it. It looks like an airplane or something but of course isn't moving. It looks different from stars. If you know what I'm talking about please write something even if you don't know what it is. It seems like no one has noticed it except for my wife and I. It doesn't seem to be in the place that comet Holmes is supposed to be, and I don't know why Venus would be so bright recently. Thanks for your help.

Answer 1

Right now Venus is super bright in the morning sky (in the east, south-east - it follows the ecliptic - the same path the moon and sun follow across the sky).

Venus goes through phases (just like the moon does). When Venus is on the far side of the sun (from the Earth) the entire half facing us (on Earth) is lit up. When Venus is on the same side of the sun as us, it shows a crescent (through a telescope) because we see mostly the dark, unlit part.

Even though less of Venus is "lit up" when it's in crescent phase, it's over six times closer to us (on Earth) so it looks much bigger and appears much brighter in the sky.

When Venus is very low on the horizon, it is still very bright and easily seen from Earth. Also, atmospheric effects make it seem to twinkle and change colors.
(The old adage that "stars twinkle - planets don't" is only partially correct. The light from planets low on the horizon has to pass through a lot more of Earth's atmosphere, so there's a lot more stuff {dust particles, air molecules} bouncing around to bend the light and cause it to twinkle, change color, and even sometimes appear to jump around in the sky. This is why Venus frequently gets reported as a "UFO".)

Answer 2

It is almost certainly Venus, though it should be rising in the east and moving to the southeast as it rises, not north. Venus is _always_ this bright: it is by far the brightest object in the sky other than the Sun and Moon. You are correct; Comet Holmes is in another direction. It was bright _for a comet_, but fainter than hundreds of stars in the sky at its brightest, and now almost invisible to the naked eye.

Answer 3

It is Venus. Venus is always bright, but because it orbits closer to the Sun than Earth, we always see it in the early morning or early evening, never in the middle of the night. So people who do not watch the sky regularly seem to be constantly surprised by it on those rare occasions when they notice it.

Answer 4

I'm in California, and I'm seeing the same thing. The comet Holmes is not nearly as bright. I believe it is the planet Mercury. You can verify this at a web site called: StarDate.org They have daily updates of what your night sky is presenting to you, plus a whole lot of other related topics.

Answer 5

It's Venus. Venus is bright, as you can see. Holmes is in the northern sky.

Answer 6

Yep it's Venus.

Venus is the brightest natural light in Earth's sky after The 'Sun' and Earth's moon 'Lunar'

Answer 7

It is the Planet Venus,, One thing to remember is stars twinkle and planets dont,, I also have been observing it for a month or so,,

Answer 8

It is Venus, and don't listen to whoever said that stars twinkle and planets don't.

Answer 9

I'm overseas and I see it as well. It's Venus, I think!!

Answer 10

hey ya....even i have seen that in southeast. However, i was wondering too...i truly dunno...guess its a satellite.
Anyways tell me if u get to know.