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Venus in the Pleiades tonight!

Ad Astra

The Instigator
We have a few astronomers here, and a lot of people who appreciate nature in general!

So tonight and tomorrow, look up!

Venus - that bright, bright "star" in the west (right after sunset) will be smack-dab in the middle of The Seven Sisters, aka the Pleiades, aka M45.

You can see with naked eye. Binoculars are better. You don't need some giant telescope.

It's close tonight, even better tomorrow. Binocs with a large objective lens, i.e. exit lens, are best. 7x50mm, as opposed to 7x35 (though if that's what you got, use them!)

The Pleiades really pop in a pair of binoculars, and Venus is scorchingly bright.

Comet Atlas is coming later this month, so if you don't have decent binoculars, you might buy some.

"Keep Looking Up," as Jack Horkeimer used to say.


AA
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
This, but with Venus at 6 o'clock-ish tonight.

full



AA
 
Awesome. My adult kids have been asking about Venus the last few days. So happy they are aware of the night sky! They are going to pass it on to my grandkids, I am sure. Venus with the crescent moon is one of the coolest twilight skies! Heading out now...
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
This is why I need to move to clearer, darker skies. My telescope comes out of storage once or twice a year, maybe.

I don't even own one! But binoculars ... I do have 20x80s for deep sky observing, 12x60 for satellite chasing, 7x35s for Marine use and 10x30 binocs for grab and go.


AA
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
Awesome. My adult kids have been asking about Venus the last few days. So happy they are aware of the night sky! They are going to pass it on to my grandkids, I am sure. Venus with the crescent moon is one of the coolest twilight skies! Heading out now...

Report back! Again, binocs are best tonight.

Told somebody about a meteor shower once. She nodded. "We'll get the telescope out ..." No! No! For that, not even binocs - just your own two eyes ... And a lounge chair.

AA
 
I would like to have some decent 20x80s, gaze at some galaxies over on the east side of the Cascade mountains.

I have the little Vixen telescope because I grew up drooling over the Questar ads in Scientific American, not because it makes sense in urban western Oregon. With the right eyepiece, I could get a bright view of Venus + Pleiades, just not from my yard in April.

A nice high camp, up above 4000’, and a fluffy sleeping bag makes for the best Perseid viewing around here. Nothing like a nice warm shower!
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
I would like to have some decent 20x80s, gaze at some galaxies over on the east side of the Cascade mountains.

I have the little Vixen telescope because I grew up drooling over the Questar ads in Scientific American, not because it makes sense in urban western Oregon. With the right eyepiece, I could get a bright view of Venus + Pleiades, just not from my yard in April.

A nice high camp, up above 4000’, and a fluffy sleeping bag makes for the best Perseid viewing around here. Nothing like a nice warm shower!

These 20x80s are Oberwerks, affordable but good. At that power, we all shake. Tripods are clumsy, but a monopod is easy and works well.

AA
 

FarmerTan

"Self appointed king of Arkoland"
We have a few astronomers here, and a lot of people who appreciate nature in general!

So tonight and tomorrow, look up!

Venus - that bright, bright "star" in the west (right after sunset) will be smack-dab in the middle of The Seven Sisters, aka the Pleiades, aka M45.

You can see with naked eye. Binoculars are better. You don't need some giant telescope.

It's close tonight, even better tomorrow. Binocs with a large objective lens, i.e. exit lens, are best. 7x50mm, as opposed to 7x35 (though if that's what you got, use them!)

The Pleiades really pop in a pair of binoculars, and Venus is scorchingly bright.

Comet Atlas is coming later this month, so if you don't have decent binoculars, you might buy some.

"Keep Looking Up," as Jack Horkeimer used to say.


AA
" Venus AND the Pleiades "....... I'm pretty sure that was an all girl rock band out of Motown in the late '60s....
 
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