Currently in the evening sky are several planets. The very bight object in the southwest after sunset is Venus, It is in a tight triangle configuration with the star Spica (to its left) and Mars (dimmer, redder -- above and right). Watch Venus over the next several days and you will see it move closer and closer to Spica, passing it by September 1. The planet Saturn is also visible to the right and down a little from the Venus/Mars/Spica triangle. All of these objects are in the constellation of Virgo.

On the opposite horizon (East), later (at 9:00 PM), Jupiter (not a bright as Venus, but quite bright) and the waxing gibbous Moon will rise.

Also, if you have recently seen the perennial email about the ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME AMAZING VIEW OF MARS ON AUGUST 27!!! IT WILL APPEAR LARGER THAN THE FULL MOON!!!!11...

This is crap, left over from a close approach between Earth and Mars on August 27, 2003. Mars was unusually close on that day (but still only appeared like a bright star to the naked eye). Sadly, this message has gotten pulled up, garbled, and circulated every year since 2003, most probably by well-meaning individuals, since it does not contain the YEAR of the original occurrence. Sadly, some things on the Internet never die.

I am digging this thread.

I dig the night sky down in the Outer Banks. Up here in NYC, the night sky is awful (too much light pollution).

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXw91N_jwZ8&start=340[/youtube]

Hmmmm.... You can specify the starting point for a YouTube link. I did not know that.

Linda's using Vidian technology for her YouTube links, now. She's sneaky like that.

Never have received that one, but it sounds like a typical Internet forward.

Funny what your perceptions can do, though. That time years ago when our whole family thought Venus was a UFO our attention was so focused on it that it seemed much bigger than it really was. When people explain away UFOs and the like as misperceptions I can readily believe it. Your eyes really can play some amazing tricks on you.

Also up in the sky we see birds, planes, and the occasional Superman. Although from what I hear he's been walking a lot lately.

My phone extension is one number off of our weatherman's. I had a woman leave me an ugly message this week, wanting to know why the weather reports were all about the weather, with no mention of the once in a lifetime view of Mars.

I noticed Jupiter last night shining through our east facing bedroom window. It was wonderfully bright. And you can see the moons with a half decent telescope.

That's exactly what I did! I could clearly see 4 moons with a 32x telescope - it was awesome!

And you can see the moons changing position if you look every night.

I waxed my gibbous last night as I was mooning my wife.

I think you were doing it wrong.

We need to arrange for Robbie to have a number one-digit off from the weatherman's...that way people will constanly be calling him about weather reports. I'm sure he'd love it!

I tried to moon my wife but she rolled over and said she was tired.