The Worlds Around Us

This week’s Nature Minute is out of this world! Nature isn’t just limited to Earth. Head outside after sunset and check out our neighbors in the solar system. Venus is the brightest object in the night sky and you can find it in the constellation Aquarius, in the southwestern sky. If you happen to have a telescope handy, look for distant Neptune just above and to the left of Venus. Higher above Venus and more the left but still close by is Mars, which appears to be a bright red non-twinkling star. Jupiter is the brightest object (other than the moon) after midnight. Again, if your telescope is handy and you are still awake, check out Jupiter. You may be able to see some of its moons. Jupiter, the largest planet, is almost like a mini solar system within our solar system. If you are an early riser, or maybe just can’t sleep, Saturn and Mercury rise just before the sun. Mercury is hard to see because it is close to the sun and therefore always low on the horizon. In my area, trees to the west or Cascade Mountains to the east make viewing Mercury impossible. Saturn is a treat to view through the telescope. Its rings are not visible to the naked eye, but they pop when viewed through the telescope. I’ve seen them a few times before and I never get over it. It’s very surreal. It looks fake.

Lunar eclipse

Venus (bottom) and Jupiter (top) in conjunction

To check out the planets and stars, get out of town. The darker the sky, the better. Up in the mountains, in the desert, or along the beach are great places for stargazing. The full moon is your worst enemy, unless you are checking out the moon. If you want to check out Saturn or Mercury, use caution not to get your telescope caught in the rising sun, unless you happen to have a solar filter. In that case, you really don’t need to be reading this blog. You probably know more about space than I do. This week’s planetary positions are courtesy of the good folks at EarthSky.org.