What Planet?

[markcollier8 (Mark)]

About 4am this morning I noticed a planet at 3 o clock from Jupiter, my telescope not quite big enough to see it properly...The night before last i saw two objects whizzing across the eastern sky are they satelites they seemed quite large & close??

[Rokketboy (Jared)]

Im not the best to answer this. IM a noob But in the morning I think the only bright easily seen planets are Jupiter and Venus. At that time I think Venus would be pretty low in the sky as well.
As far as the other planets go Mars is around in the morning just before dawn not far from venus but once again at 4 am would be very low if up at all.
Neptune is really close to Jupiter atm but its pretty faint and would like like a star in anything other than a big scope I would imagine. Uranus would somewhere near Mars and Venus and so very low and difficult to see.
As for the 2 objects, most likely satellites. They look like a fast moving star moving across your field of view. Not a bright star either. Most are about the same brightness as a general background star, just fast moving. Thats why you pick them up easily. Some can flash a bit, if their solar panels catch the sun at the right angle and look brighter.
Anyways. Im sure some more knowledgable peoplethan me will be along soon to give you the correct answer

[marki]

Neptune was probably what you saw. Should have looked like a blue disk.

Mark

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

I doubt he would have seen a disk, you need something like 16" to 20" for that, but the sky-blue colour of the planet should be a clue - you wont see stars that bright a blue! Jupiter and Neptune are going to be fairly close to each other for the rest of the year and into next. First conjunction is coming up on 25th May. Two more this year and one next year. Enjoy!

[marki]

Originally Posted by Blue Skies

I doubt he would have seen a disk, you need something like 16" to 20" for that, but the sky-blue colour of the planet should be a clue - you wont see stars that bright a blue! Jupiter and Neptune are going to be fairly close to each other for the rest of the year and into next. First conjunction is coming up on 25th May. Two more this year and one next year. Enjoy!

Blue skies I only have a 10" but have seen the disks of both neptune and uranus through it. Very small disks but disks all the same. Perhaps something is being lost in semantics here.

Mark

[Blue Skies (Jacquie)]

Well, maybe. I haven't looked at Neptune recently, which doesn't help. Knowing what size scope he's using and perhaps even the magnification would be useful. How does he know its a planet? It could be a planetary nebula for all I can tell from his description.