Morning Star : September 2007 A.D.

jaybird0827 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007, 09:01 PM

Has anyone else noticed an exceptionally bright star just before daybreak in the eastern sky lately? The star reminds me of a comet I remember seeing, because of the shape.

I did a Google search for current information and if I read correctly, both Mars and Saturn appear in the sky around that time. I'm wondering if I'm seeing Saturn.

Andrew, I know you've been out there and you've got to know something about this!

armourbearer · #2 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybird0827

Andrew, I know you've been out there and you've got to know something about this!

Sorry for imposing my strange sense of humour on your thread, Jay. This just sounded funny in the context of Saturn.

VirginiaHuguenot · #3 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by armourbearer

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaybird0827

Andrew, I know you've been out there and you've got to know something about this!

Sorry for imposing my strange sense of humour on your thread, Jay. This just sounded funny in the context of Saturn.

Yep, Jay's right, I'm out there, in a manner of speaking, around 4:30-5:00 am every day. But, although I'm not sure why this came up, I must say that I've never driven a Saturn (or an Eclipse, for that matter).

Nevertheless, Mars or Saturn are possibililties, or it might be Venus that you are seeing, Jay.

The Night Sky for September 2007

BobVigneault · #4 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007, 09:38 PM

It's pretty likely that it's Venus you're seeing. Whenever you see Venus as the morningstar it's actually in crescent stage yet even in cresent it's magnitude right now is -4.4. When magnitude is measured the lower the number, the brighter the object. Mars is getting brighter every day but it's present magnitude is only +0.2. Saturn is dimmer still. It's pretty high in the sky by the time you're getting up.

Calvibaptist · #5 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007, 10:02 PM

Come on people! This is the sign in the sky that signals the beginning of the return of Christ, proving we are at the end of the Great Tribulation. Only a few more weeks and we can expect a great ingathering of Jews.

victorbravo · #6 (**permalink**) 09-11-2007, 10:44 PM

Bob's right. It is Venus. Spectacular around 5:30-6 a.m. I can actually see the crescent without magnification at that time.

BobVigneault · #7 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 05:57 AM

Dear Pastor Doug,
I am writing this from a terminal at a Starbucks just around the corner from the Great White Throne in heaven. It's great here. Everything is wireless baby.

Anyway, I'm sorry you've been left behind. Go get the 'Left Behind' series and start reading so you will know what to do next. I have to go, Jack and Rexella want to use the 'puter'. They say 'hi'. By the way, the anti-Christ is Rubert Murdoch, the Illuminati is real and it's financed by Proctor and Gamble. Who knew?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calvibaptist

Come on people! This is the sign in the sky that signals the beginning of the return of Christ, proving we are at the end of the Great Tribulation. Only a few more weeks and we can expect a great ingathering of Jews.

VirginiaHuguenot · #8 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by victorbravo

Bob's right. It is Venus. Spectacular around 5:30-6 a.m. I can actually see the crescent without magnification at that time.

The skies were perfect in Northern Virginia this morning. I got a great look at Venus in the eastern sky. I followed it all the way into DC, just like Peter Pan on his way to Neverland.

BobVigneault · #9 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 07:58 AM

So did I Andrew, only I was headed south to Rockford, IL. It is surprisingly bright. You can see it all day long if you know where to look. I have found it with binoculars during the day.

Venus is never more than 47 degrees from the sun. If you've never tried estimating sky distances by degrees here are some rules of thumb (and a few other fingers.)

Hold your hand at arms length. The width of your little finger is about 1 degree. The width of your thumb is 2 degrees. The distance from your thumb tip to the first joint is 3 degrees. Your fist is about 10 degrees, though I usually just form a 'v' sign with my index and middle finger which is about the same. Your span is about 30 degrees.

At night it's easy to find the Big Dipper, the pointer stars are 5 degrees apart. They point of course to the north star which is 30 degrees (one and half spans or three victory signs) from the closest pointer star (Dubhe). This is what I teach my kids and they have a lot of fun estimating the distances.

jaybird0827 · #10 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 09:14 AM

Thanks guys - appreciated!!!

(Unfortunately I didn't get to see it on my walk this morning because it was overcast here in the Charlotte area).

victorbravo · #11 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VirginiaHuguenot

The skies were perfect in Northern Virginia this morning. I got a great look at Venus in the eastern sky. I followed it all the way into DC, just like Peter Pan on his way to Neverland.

Then the sun came up and you realized where you really were! Rude awakening, I'm sure.

Calvibaptist · #12 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobVigneault

Dear Pastor Doug,
I am writing this from a terminal at a Starbucks just around the corner from the Great White Throne in heaven. It's great here. Everything is wireless baby.

If you're anywhere near the Great White Throne, watch out! That's only where unbelievers are judged. You should be hanging out near the Judgment Seat of Christ, better known as the Bema Seat. Didn't you ever listen to that old Petra song?

Quote:

Anyway, I'm sorry you've been left behind. Go get the 'Left Behind' series and start reading so you will know what to do next. I have to go, Jack and Rexella want to use the 'puter'. They say 'hi'. By the way, the anti-Christ is Rubert Murdoch, the Illuminati is real and it's financed by Proctor and Gamble. Who knew?

I actually did read the series. No wonder I didn't see your character in there. I waited until all the books were out and all the hype died down. I had finally decided I was no longer a dispensationalist and wanted confirmation. I wanted to see what junk was in there. Boy, what a waste of paper. Ligon Duncan was right. It was kind of like "The Hardy Boys Meet the Apocalypse."

JohnV · #13 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 02:49 PM

I'll just back Vic up here: yes, it's Venus. Keep watching it every morning if you can. Notice the changes in its rising. It's been getting up a little earlier each day, and will continue to do so for a bit. Right not it rises about 4:30 AM.

If you can get a telescope you can see it in its half-moon/quarter-moon phases. I'm not sure right now which phase its in. A good pair of bird watcing binoculars will give you a glimpse of this too.

Where I got the most interest from my children was when Venus was in the afternoon sky after the sun. I could pick it up with my telescope while it was still invisible to the naked eye. My children were very surprised by that. I think that approach gives the best perspective of the solar system we're in.

The last time Venus was in the morning sky I got to observe Mercury.

Scott · #14 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 02:11 PM

I saw a very bright star last night and wondered what it was. It was just after dusk and was low on the southern horizon. I thought it was a plane but it never moved. It was very bright. Same thing?

victorbravo · #15 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

I saw a very bright star last night and wondered what it was. It was just after dusk and was low on the southern horizon. I thought it was a plane but it never moved. It was very bright. Same thing?

Certainly not Venus because right now it is visible only in the early morning. Probably it is Jupiter, which should be visible in the southwest shortly after sunset, but it is leaving fast.

toddpedlar · #16 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 03:15 PM

Shoot! A taylormade thread for me

Oh well. I guess I missed the first appearance of this thread because of the little matter of my new daughter's birth on 9/11.

Yes guys, it's Venus you see in the early morning at this point in time - it should
be Jupiter in the evening.

Saturn, actually, should be quite close to Venus and getting closer (up and to its left) - closest at about Oct 15.

TKP

toddpedlar · #17 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott

I saw a very bright star last night and wondered what it was. It was just after dusk and was low on the southern horizon. I thought it was a plane but it never moved. It was very bright. Same thing?

Our dear Mr. Bravo (

) is right on this - Jupiter it probably is - you should also notice Antares, nearby Jupiter (down and to the west) which is a monster red giant in Scorpius.

BobVigneault · #18 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 03:20 PM

If you folks are really interested in observational astronomy or you're just wondering what that bright light is in the sky, here is an app for you. Stellarium is a beautiful and fairly powerful sky generator. Here is the best part - it's open source, it's FREE! You can download it here.

toddpedlar · #19 (**permalink**) 10-01-2007, 03:22 PM

and if you can't get that to work, you can go to this URL for an online interface to a server running Starry Night - another nice (but expensive) package

VirginiaHuguenot · #20 (**permalink**) 10-06-2007, 01:58 PM

An update on Venus.

No Longer A Libertine · #21 (**permalink**) 10-06-2007, 03:01 PM

Hasn't there been some astronomical research that infers that Christ may have been born in September?