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View Full Version here: : Daylight sighting of Sirius with naked eye ?


skysurfer
19-02-2014, 03:52 AM
In 1986 I saw Sirius on a late March afternoon from Canberra with a small telescope and when I looked along the telescope I saw a very faint star with the naked eye.
Subsequent attempts, including one this afternoon from Stellenbosch (South Africa, lat 34 S) failed. In the latter case I saw Sirius very bright through the Televue Genesis, Sun about 12 degrees high, Sirius 45 degrees, but no Sirius along the telescope.
In the 1986 case Sirius was higher (about 60 degrees). Maybe my eyes are older, S. is too low, etc...

Did anybody see Sirius in daylight with naked eye ?
Obviously, the sky should be deep blue transparent and S. high in the sky.

Larryp
19-02-2014, 08:05 AM
The biggest problem is focusing our eyes without a reference point

Tropo-Bob
20-02-2014, 09:11 PM
I once followed Sirius into the daylight with my just my eyes. Sirius was high in the sky near the Zenith and the Sun was just rising. There was sunshine on a nearby wall. Once I looked away, I was unable to find it again, although I did find it with a small scope (a 4.25 inch Astroscan).

sheeny
21-02-2014, 06:23 AM
Yes I've seen several bright astro objects with naked eye during the day: Sirius, Antares, Venus, Jupiter, Comet McNaught, etc. It helps if they are near zenith and there's good separation between them and the sun, say early morning or late afternoon, but Comet McNaught didn't have much separation.

I think there was less than 2 hours RA separation when I viewed McNaught - house eaves are a good thing!;)

Al.