Is it Venus?

Question

We have all just wrapped up and gone outside to stargaze (something we often do as our 6 year old is fascinated) there is a very very bright star in the sky, brighter than the North star - Is it Venus? Someone said it could be?

It is very bright, almost a gold colour and it is not twinkling it does not look like it is moving so poss not a satellite?

The time here in Ireland is 7.55pm. The front of the house faces North direction if that helps.

Thank you everybody for your answers, I do apologise, it appears that I was viewing Mars, as my husband told me the house faces North, as I have now discovered is incorrect!

He has now been strangled and I am playing the astronomer on some brilliant websites, if my 6 year old will let me get a look in!

Answer 1

For the time and location you describe, Mars should be in the following location:
azimuth 95 degrees (just a bit south of due east)
altitude 38 degrees (nearly halfway from the horizon to the zenith)

The object is almost certainly Mars. Are you sure the window really faces north, or could it be more like northeast? If the window faces northeast, you'd see Mars if you look towards the right side out of the window. (If the window truly faced north, you wouldn't see it. I'm assuming you're talking about a flat window, as opposed to a curved or bay window, which would give you a wider view.)

-- edit:
Sorry, I misunderstood; you were standing outside, and not looking out the window. In any case, the information above is correct. If you were outside and facing toward the window, then you would have seen Mars by turning 90 degrees to the left.

Answer 2

If you are facing North, then its not one of the planets, since they all move within a few degrees of the ecliptic (the line the sun appears to follow in the sky).
Venus is very bright, but right now its only visible in the southeast a few hours before sunrise.
Mars is also very bright, but it rises in the southeast around 8 pm local time and appears slightly reddish.

If it was north and a bit towards the west, it was likely Vega - the second-brightest star in the northern hemisphere. Its a bluewhite giant main sequence star.

There are a few good websites - astronomy.com or space.com - that can make your stargazing even more interesting if you check out your sky's appearance online in advance. The star atlases or charts can help you find the planets and the brighter stars in the sky, or help you identify objects you see.

Answer 3

No that wuldn't be venus and no planet would be in the North.

In the South East is Mars at that time.

Saturn rises just before midnight in the East/South East and Venus is up in the East 1 1/2 hours before sunrise.

Mars is the brightest (red orange) object in the evening sky right after the moon and it is mostly in the East and South after sunset.

Before sunrise Venus will be even brighter and blue white in color in the East/South East no higher than 45 degrees.

Venus will be back in the evening in the West by springtime.

If you get up a little more than an hour before sunrise you will see venus low in the East and mars low in the West and saturn about inbtween.

Draw and arch with your finger from venus to mars and about 60% of the way to mars if you see a dull yellow star of pretty good brightness that will be saturn.

Answer 4

Venus is currently viewable in the early morning hours, just a couple of hours before sunrise, so it would not be that

One star I could think of that would be bright at that time would be Vega and would be close to the band of light, which is the Milky Way. I live in Iowa, USA, and Vega is typically straight overhead about the time you mention, but for your latitude, it would place it about 10 degrees further to the south.

Another bright and possible star would be the star Capella in the constellation of Auriga. It is further northeast of Vega and along the Milky Way as well.

The only other real bright star in that time frame would be off to your southeast. The star, Sirius (in the constellation of Canis Majoris), is the brightest star in the sky (other than our sun). It is a brilliant, yellowish color, and very distinctive this time of year. If you can identify the constellation of Orion, Sirius is very close by.

Sirius is so bright, one tends not to see the twinkling of it as with dimmer stars.

Answer 5

It certainly could be. Venus is not a star though, it should not be "twinkling". If it is twinkling, it won't be Venus.. what colour is it?

EDIT ...It will be Mars..its rising at the moment in the East. Although called the red planet it's more like a pale gold.

Answer 6

Depends what time it is. Venus is generally only visible in the morning right at dawn before the sun comes up. It is usually just above the horizon at this time of the year. One of the more difficult planets to see.

Answer 7

No. Venus is the Morning Star at the moment. You are probably seeing Mars - slightly reddish

Answer 8

When describing this, you need to say what direction you're looking also.

The description matches Mars, though from Ireland it would be more towards the East at that time.

Answer 9

without a doubt its mars
excuse the commercial
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4047077

opposition and its distance is the key to its brightness

even though the video is outdated, mars is still going to be pretty bright for a month or so.

Answer 10

if its twinkles its not venus, but usually you can see venus early in the morning. venus is the "rising star"