I did mention on one of my posts within the last two weeks that I witnesed what I thought was an unusual object fly over my house early morning about an hour before sunrise...
I siad I thought it looked like some sort of triangular shaped craft...but with rounded edges...and was Very bright...with some sort of long type tail behind it...
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jhmwcbgZzXE/maxresdefault.jpg)
It was reasonably low compared to general aircraft that fly over my house...and going in a direction that I do not normally see aircraft fly over..
I did try to make various enquiries with two airports local to me...one being a Major airport.. and even called the CAA...
But I got no where, as they said that they could not disclose such information. or said that they were unaware or it could be very difficult to confirm..even when giving time and location and direction
THEN Today.... I THINK that I may have seen the strangest thing that I have ever seen, other than in the Movies..
It was maybe a similar type of craft... but much lower..
and flying VERY VERY strangely...
And this is the really weird part..
I only seen it for few (maybe 5 to 10 ) seconds before it went behind houses on the other side of my back part of the house..
The way it was flying... and its colour..
It was what seemed a Glowing red colour with what I thought was 3 or more deeper red circles underneath..
(https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.W8E9muhmQ9QZUPJKpDNYLAEsDc&pid=15.1&P=0&w=221&h=163)
and ithe flight of the object was swaying from left to right.. and tilting down and up all at the same time...
and it was going at quite a speed, BUT not at super type speed..
I was viewing it thru my window and could not hear anything..
It was in Clear daylight about 12.30 uk time...
Later I am wondering, could it have been a TR 3B or Aurora type craft... or something similar..
or could it have been something coming down to earth like a crashing Space type of object that for what ever reason, I thought looked triangular..and maybe it was glowing from the atmosphere...
OR if it was say a TR 3B, could it have slowed down from hypersonic speed and was glowing thru that !
The object if you can imagine was something like these images.. BUT where it appears dark... was all glowing red..
I cannot seem to find any images looking as I describe in the detail I would like, if it was a TR 3B..
(https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.dJB5LHdMQ6-10DXJbWMmkAE_DD&pid=15.1&P=0&w=262&h=161)
(https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.QNQo781uDNJpz_wNRXmKBwEsC7&pid=15.1&P=0&w=247&h=155)
(https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.tTaPlxjiy_Bxl_4PiUI8tgD2Es&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300)
Another alternative is it may have been something like the Aurora... but that does not seem to have rounded edges or circles underneath..
(http://www.ufocasebook.com/2008/aurora.jpg)
(https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.cTEHUawNhJPU0QcUz_yzfwEsCZ&pid=15.1&P=0&w=340&h=174)
Whatever it was Astro thanks for reporting!
It's experiences like your's that keep me interested! :)
Quote from: astr0144 on September 22, 2017, 04:00:41 PM
I did try to make various enquiries with two airports local to me...one being a Major airport.. and even called the CAA...
Next time try to use a flight tracking site, like FlightRadar24 (https://www.flightradar24.com/) or RadarVirtuel (http://www.radarvirtuel.com), they will show all commercial craft in your area.
Keep us informed. :)
Not to worry astro.
It was probably just a hologram.
Astro, this image you posted
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jhmwcbgZzXE/maxresdefault.jpg)
is very close to what I saw in 1979; but I estimate that the one I saw, at low altitude, to be in the neighborhood of 300 yards long as it passed directly overhead; and it was silent...
That was my point of no return...
8)
Thanks for your comment Somamech,
I agree that such report experiences are what keep us all continuing our research.
I think I have ever only seen about 7 to 10 UFOs in my lifetime... , and maybe 2 or 3 prior in the area where I live..that were some years ago.
So to see 2 more in 2 weeks is quite surprising to me..
Quote from: Somamech on September 22, 2017, 06:31:12 PM
Whatever it was Astro thanks for reporting!
It's experiences like your's that keep me interested! :)
I recall we discussed something similar before ArMaP.
But when I contacted either the Civil Avation Authority (CAA) or one of the airports... I mentioned such websites, and I think they suggested that they were only good for future flight details and not ones that have already passsed..
Im not sure if when we discussed it, that there may had been one for past data, but it was something you had to pay for,,
I will have to try to recheck.
I hope to try to do some further investigation.
ArMaP
QuoteNext time try to use a flight tracking site, like FlightRadar24 or RadarVirtuel, they will show all commercial craft in your area.
Keep us informed. :)
:-\ you may be right A51...it could be...
My impression later on the incident yesterday, was if its not a Hologram.. that maybe it had been that it may have come from Hypersonic speed or even from Space and entered back into normal speed and maybe declined in height, and was now trying to cool down.
But this was over a Major City, not out in the desert or over the sea...
So at the moment , my head is stil spinning trying to come up with answers !
A51watcher
Quote
Not to worry astro.
It was probably just a hologram.
That is very interesting seeker if you witnessed that in 1979 and at such low altitude.
I would think such craft back then maybe were witnessed much more over the USA...
I have recently seen quite a few claims in the UK for people who have claimed to see TR3Bs..
Theres a Military Aircraft engineering facility / airport about 50 miles away where there have been claims of some sitings..
QuoteSeeker
is very close to what I saw in 1979; but I estimate that the one I saw, at low altitude, to be in the neighborhood of 300 yards long as it passed directly overhead; and it was silent...
That was my point of no return...
Quote from: astr0144 on September 23, 2017, 09:53:48 AM
But when I contacted either the Civil Avation Authority (CAA) or one of the airports... I mentioned such websites, and I think they suggested that they were only good for future flight details and not ones that have already passsed..
Those sites show air traffic in real time, so if you are seeing something you cannot identify looking at them would show you if it's a commercial flight or not.
As far as I know, for past events you need to know the plane's ID to see what flights it had before, so they are no help in looking for past events, just for events happening or that just happened.
Obviously, if you don't have Internet access during such event you cannot use those sites, but if you have then they are a good tool.
The only thing that I had to go on ArmaP, on the day.. was the time and location when I witnessed it.
Maybe if I had been quick enough to check, it may had been possible if it was a known aircraft with ID or a ref..
but if it was a secret Military craft... I dont think it would show up on any of the type of websites that the public could view.
QuoteThose sites show air traffic in real time, so if you are seeing something you cannot identify looking at them would show you if it's a commercial flight or not.
As far as I know, for past events you need to know the plane's ID to see what flights it had before, so they are no help in looking for past events, just for events happening or that just happened.
Obviously, if you don't have Internet access during such event you cannot use those sites, but if you have then they are a good tool.
In ref to Holograms A51..I may have made ref to this once before.. and I assume that you would have see this..
I saw this Program "The Unexplained Files " again last night...and watched it several times..as I found it so amazing..
There is ref to Bob Lazar and John Lear also and Dulce.
If it is true and NOT an Hologram, it maybe one of the most amazing things that I have ever come across in ref to Area 51.
Do you think what he sees is actually Groom Lakes runway lighting up or some other area near by it ? .
This is from the Unexplained Files series with UFO Investigator Ex Police Chuck Zukowski.
The Unexplained files series 2 episode 1
Watch Chuck Zukowski interviews Airline Captain Michael Dinan in the video at the 21 minute mark.
This maybe one of the most amazing things that I have ever seen...
(https://tse3.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.8hk0PASxlE7BdU5-x2W5GQEsCo&pid=15.1&P=0&w=274&h=155)
(http://www.ufoconspiracy.com/images/area51-animation-1988-1.30am.jpg)
http://www.ufoconspiracy.com/images/area51-animation-1988-1.30am.jpg
here is Chucks website.
http://www.ufonut.com/
http://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/2014/10/unexplained-files-paranormal-highway-america-s01e01.html
http://www.mojvideo.com/video-the-unexplained-files-paranormal-highway-of-america/b42922272d849c2fca90
Just witnessed another what seemed rather unusal Craft fly over... similar to one that I referred to in this thread that came over my area about an hr before sunrise.
Again I noted it at the back of my house... as a rather slow but bright moving object and relatively low and what I thought was silient..
I obtained some Binoculars and I ran to the front of the house.. and awaited for it to pass over to the front of it.
On looking thru the binoculars... I tried to hold them as steady as I could...
on viewing it closer up.. It did not appear as any obvious craft that I was familiar with, like a triangular one for eg.
What was rather strange to me thou.. was when zooming in on the object... is it seemed to be moving at times ... snake like .
That could have been due to me not holding the binoculars steady enough... BUT I was consciously aware that I could have been doing that , so I deliberately tried again to steady them as best as I could... and on doing so... it still looked like it was spiraling and twisting around as it went along. and I thought as the craft moved further away... that it was far enough away not to appear to be distorted from some slight movement of my optics... but it still did appear to be sprialing and twisting as it moved along..
But without zooming in on it... you could not tell that there was any such unusual movement of the object when looking at it just with the naked eye.. as all you could see was a moving rather bright object.
If it was that is something that I have never experienced before and I dont think that I can explain it..
and I am not sure that I am aware of others sightings that may suggest similar observations where someone thinks its not just down to ones movement of their optics...
Again the severe silence of it added to the mystery of it..
But it appeared by memory, to be along the same flight path as the previous sighting that I referred to.
If it was far enough you wouldn't ear any sound from it, we usually don't ear a jet 10 km away, for example.
Could the "twisting" be a result of air distortion, like a mirage effect?
Also, can you tell us what was the shape of the object? You said it didn't look like any other, but how was it's shape and colour? In what direction was it moving? How high over the horizon was it? In what area of the horizon was it: north, south?
Hi ArMaP,
I cannot be sure what I observed with sort of certainty.. so some of the things that you suggest could be quite possible.
I can only tell what I thought that I was witnessing... and in ref to comparing to other things that I have seen in the past and why I may be thinking what I describe.
In terms of the Object or craft what ever it may have been... IF it was a aircraft which is normally what I would have expected it to be... at 4 am in the morning.. its was very quiet time early morning before sunrise... the sky was dark enough for the object to appear as quiet a bright light..but as I mentioned... it was not going that fast IMO for the the height that I was somehow estimating it to be... Now in terms of actual height above me... thats not easy to give an answer to... but in terms of other past aircraft that I often see fly over around my area... I say generally it was lower than most and also slower for the height that I may have considered it to be based also on the brightness of the moving object..
The shape of the object from naked eye.. was a reasonable bright yellowish light...appearing reasonable sized compared to many other general aircraft that I have normally seen in the past. But there was no obvious shape to it other than a round bright yellowish light.
But when I looked thru the binoculars and eventually zoomed in on it... it certainly appeared different in that maybe some of the brighter surrounding light was not distorting my vision of it as was by naked eye..
and as I mentioned on zooming in and focusing in on it... I could then see the object more clearly... and as I said it apeared to be spiraling, twisting & like zig zagging.. and I said it looked sort of snake like.... or maybe like a floppy tube or coil like object but appearing more silvery bright... It may have reminded me of something that I have seen on a video floating in space when there was a thread about some of the things seen floating around the Space shuttle that maybe at the time was being questioned as to what it was... but since I have seen some TV programs that suggested that the snake like object seen around the shuttle had been something that the astronauts had lost.... (or maybe that was NASAs excuse if it was something else)
Normally I think that I would have heard the object if it had been an aircraft as often I seem to do..
The conditioneds were clear and calm... but no doubt after the hot weather from the day before and into the night, air distortion could certainly have been quite a possibility...
It was travelling along the same direction as one of the other craft that I had reported or mentioned in this thread in post one... that I saw the day before I seen a TR3B in the day time at mid day the next day..back in Sept 2017.
It was flying close but slightly to the west of being overhead or not far from flying direct above my house at least as it approached over my street area.. but initially Id seen it at the back of the house further to the North west horizion above another row of houses as far as I could see... but I could not see it appear from low on the actual more toward ground level horizion..
and when it passed over the house / street... it was visible until it had gone over the houses on the opposite side of the street.
So Id say that it was travelling from around North West to south to / South East as I say at 4 am over the Mid U.K.
This is some images that I found on a quick search that may be a bit similar..
BUT the other factor is was what I was seeing due movement of my optics...
As much as I know that does or can happen.... I was trying to be extra careful to keep them as steady as I could... and yet It still appeared as I descibed.. of which I personally would not have expected....
Id say somewhere between the 1st two images but the 1st one which appears horizontal like... was appearing more towards the slanted vertical when I looked thru the binoculars and was was facing more towards the direction that it was moving towards... so if you think of it going in a vertical looking position...you may think its going straight up. or down (in my case it may have appeared going down at an angle as it disappeared over the next row of houses) as it was going or aiming partly further away from me from my eyeview... but in the suggested direction as it went over the other houses... rather than when it may appear horizontal... you may think its going left to right or right to left...
The mystery to me if was snake or flexible tube like, would be why did it appear so bright ? how would it be generating light if its due to sunlight catching it....during the darkness of the night...and how was it moving like it was...what would have been Powering it ?
I could not imagine it being an aircraft, or UFO ET wise... or a drone... and it was not some sort of chinese lantern. or any sort of meteor or astro like object that I can think of...
Id say it was moving at a steady constant what seem relatively slow speed and in one continual direction...
There was no sign of any comm or chem trail or any other sort of light yoy may have expected to see on any sort of expected known aircraft or UFO like object that I would have generally considered..
Im guessing somewhere between 15,000 to 20,000 feet... it was not one of higher aircraft type flyovers which are usually 30,000 feet.. id say more toward half that height...
It was not approaching towards any airport ... and dont think it was any sort of airship or blimp or drone..
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VCb_wc6Gi3M/maxresdefault.jpg)
Id say at some stage that I saw something like this when I may have had some binocular movement...
and you would see some zig zagging or movement effect..
But as I say it also appeared to be spiraling...or rolling / twisting along the line of the direction that it was going..
like imagine having a flexible rubber hose or tube of say 20 feet long and 6 inches diameter... and the ends of the hose or tube and one end of the tube is aiming in the direction that it is going and the other end is the back of the object.. but then you see it appear to be rolling along its centreline... and then you see it sort of ziz zagging snake like as its also moving along...or twisting where the head of it is moving slightly left to right and vice versa...or up and downwards..or within similar positions of say within a 360 degree possible movement ....(you may imagine up as top of a circle... down as the bottom of a circle at 180 degree... Right or East as say 90 degees.... and Left or east as 270 degrees if say you were looking at its centreline from a certain position, face on looking at it end on say.. ) or maybe its like if you had a hose pipe or compressed airline.. and turned the tap on slowly and more build up the pressue within the pipe gradually more and more... and was not holding it... it may start doing strange things..but in my case it was still maintaining a overall direction as it was moving along in its main directional centreline, but it was twisting and spiraling around that at the same time...
(http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news-img/maximum/13968.jpg)
this image shows far too long a tail... so it was not as long as this... but maybe more like a shorter version
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xzA4rzhdDTQ/UoWZ0DzkdiI/AAAAAAAAS1I/Xt5WtbojL3g/s1600/UFO,+UFOs,+sighting,+sightings,+tennessee,+sky,+rocket,+contrail,+anomaly,+nov,+2013,+news,+paranormal,+worm,+snake,+Justin+Bieber,+Selena+Gomez,+ovni,+omni,+1.png)
or maybe more like this as it was going over the next row of houses..
(http://www.latest-ufo-sightings.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/snake-ufo.png)
It may even have been something like this.. maybe a balloon tube like object ... but I did not note the same colour..
and I could NOT imagine a longer narrow like balloon appearing bright and moving like it was.. unless it was continualy pulsing air out to propell it on slow basis at such a height and as long as I witnessed it for... which would have been maybe 2 to 3 minutes in total at a guess...
(https://i.ytimg.com/vi/icfoQI5WxcU/hqdefault.jpg)
I seem to recall maybe this snake like object was discussed on PRC before..but was seen in space from a spacecraft if I recall.... was it some sort of earthlike snake that has say been taken up into the earths atmosphere.. or some how got into space or may some creature that lives in space above the earth as "Z" has indicated before with orbs and stuff like that...
(https://www.latest-ufos.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/snake-above-earth-2013.jpeg)
(https://www.strangerdimensions.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/sky-snake-nasa.jpg)
maybe like a flying snake that reached the upper atmosphere and got into space somehow over time and some how feeds on something up there and breathes to survive somehow ... ??? could such a thing really be possible !
(http://a57.foxnews.com/global.fncstatic.com/static/managed/img/fn2/feeds/LiveScience/876/493/Flying-snake-101122-02.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
THEN coming towards the end of the day and since I have been writing this post... I just outside my house and sitting down drinking a cup of tea as the daylight is starting to fade.... and I hear for the 1st time ever in my area... what sounded like a drone...
I am looking up trying to see something maybe just above house height.. 30 foot of so.... and cannot see anything...
BUT then I look higher and spot a small type of drone hovering almost above the house ,id say 4 x times higher than a house... 120 foot high or more and just hovering there for a couple of minutes.... After I spotted it.... it then started moving away...
Is a local flying it or some sort of spy network ? what ever it seems very weird and rather a coincidence as I never seen one fly over my area ever before today... :o
Quote from: ArMaP on July 15, 2018, 12:45:42 PM
If it was far enough you wouldn't ear any sound from it, we usually don't ear a jet 10 km away, for example.
Could the "twisting" be a result of air distortion, like a mirage effect?
Also, can you tell us what was the shape of the object? You said it didn't look like any other, but how was it's shape and colour? In what direction was it moving? How high over the horizon was it? In what area of the horizon was it: north, south?
In ref to the drone...
What I find could be disturbing about what I had witnessed tonight... is the thoughts of what it could be being used for..
and is there a law against where they should be allowed to fly ?
as it could be used from anything like used by criminals looking into peoples back yards or private rear house areas....
or they could be being used to see if people are in a rear part of a house...
or certain type of authorities could be using them to observe or detect people who they may be looking for...
even people like bailiffs, debt colectors for certain business or Govt related sectors , or Police etc ...
I suppose you forgot to check the two sites with flight information I posted on this thread to see if it was a commercial flight, right?
I think that I tried to check on those sites on the last occasion and that they only show information prior or before an event .. not after !
and I did try to contact the CAA and local airports and got no where... as they no longer are willing to offer any call and give a reply on any instant basis... you have to write in and give your details etc and await a reply if your lucky !
Quote from: ArMaP on July 16, 2018, 01:09:36 AM
I suppose you forgot to check the two sites with flight information I posted on this thread to see if it was a commercial flight, right?
Quote from: astr0144 on July 16, 2018, 11:54:00 AM
I think that I tried to check on those sites on the last occasion and that they only show information prior or before an event .. not after !
Those sites show the information in real time, if an aeroplane is going over your house and you look at one of the sites it will show you what plane it is.
Hope alls as well as can be Fellow members,
Its some time since I posted since "Zorgons passing " God bless to him where ever he maybe !
Sorry I am not being able to post like I used to.. can only hope that I can at some time get back on track.
I just want to report another Very unusal sighting that I have had tonight...
and as I have been away some time and not been able to get back in the zone of famiiarity... as I suspect at the moment that I have probably lost much of my memory recall on various topics that I used to try to research on PRC..
I am questioning tonight was what I witnessed a dream.. or am I maybe being hoaxed or seeing something that may easily be explained...
I went out of my house a few hours ago ...after it had gone dark..maybe about 7 pm UK time....and was riding my bike down the street..
I just happened to turn my head as I turned to another Road upon leaving my street and I noted a VERY bright light..
at 1st I thought was it an aeroplanes light.. and as I was moving on my bike was unsure if the object was moving...
I was almost going to ride on... but decided to stop and take another look.
what I could see was NOT appearing to move and was not seeming too far away...as where I stopped I could see my street and houses near by.. and above the rows of houses... the OBJECT was just seeming totally static and maybe the brightest thing that I have ever seen other than the moon...it was brighter than any star or planet that I have ever seen...
and reminded me of the Star of bethlehem...
I remained and watched it trying to figure out what it was.... and initially could not really tell or really even guess.. as for my experience .. I had not seen anything like it before I dont think..
I have seen an object before just hover very high up for about 30 mins...in day light...a few years ago..at a UFO event thatI went to...that appeared very high up...maybe at aircraft levels...10,to 20, 000 feet or more
and this may have been 10 K or more...if I had to guess...
From the direction that I obseved it... maybe 2 miles away there is a very large type shop area...and I wondered later if maybe it was some sort of lazar light or maybe even a drone.. and MAYBE it was..
But I later have tried to make some enquiries and so far no one I spoke to has been aware of any type of drones or lights circulating around that area upon speaking with their customer services who claim that would be aware if there was something of such going on in that area...
So I now question what may it have been...
I returned back to my house got binoculars and a small telescope and looked at it and have some photos and videos..
I now have to do some further research if I can to try and find out more..
Hope to try to update if and when I can...
But It may have been almost as an impressive event to my prior TR3B sightig that I had in ref to this thread...
The object was not too far away from the same location...
I did initially think that I saw 2 helecopters... seeming to pass by BUT none of them actually approached the object as I thought maybe they were going to do so..
I was in a sort of daze with the excitmnet and sort of was not taking detailed note of what the copters did...
I have seen Police copters circuoate around this area on other ocassions and had wondered were they looking for UFOs...
and was expecting them to turn up..
The video and photos do show the object but like we are aware... lights in the sky on photos usually dont appear the same scalle brightness etc as in real time..
I think that I may have been watching this on and off for over an hour and later it VERY slowy had started to move...
I have yet to return some hours later.. hope to do so in next hr...
if its still around...
I will find it hard to believe...
and can only suspect its some sort of gimick...such as a hologram or something that someone in the area has some way of projecting it in the sky..
I may go and now call the Police to ask if they had any calls about it..before I go back home..
I am sorry to say that I did not have a decent camera available to take better zoomed in photos of it..
someone else also witnesses it with me and seemed to have very good i phone and was able to zoom in on it..
but when I went back home and returned he had gone...but had been there for 20 mins or so prior..
JUST a QUICK comment on this..
with deep embarrishment from a long term UFO researcher :-[
I used to not believe that anyone suggested expert or keen researchers could suggest or believe that a UFO sighting may be a bright star or planet...and that it was JUST hoaxers or disinfo disbelievers who make such claims... BUT I am sorry to have to admitt... It seems I may have been wrong in what I thought that I witnessed...
It appears my sighting is actually probably Venus...which I really find hard to believe..
As I had NOT seen it this year as I have not looked for it or been out that much and the weather in recent weeks has been cloudy and rain..
But we had a VERY clear cold night a few days ago...
and the sky was very clear..
upon seeing this object in the sky I really could not believe it could be a planet...
I still have not as yet officially checked what the astronoers are saying about it..and how bright it maybe...
BUT also amazingly ... last night when I still had not realised for sure... I went out to look again and the NEW moon appeared right close to it...which I though was amazingly a coincidence..
During an hour ... in the early stages I did not seem to think it had moved... but in the last 10 mins...
It had moved.... and in the last 2 mins before I went...
I honestly thought that I seen it moving very slowly...but more than you would normally expect...
It also appears MUCH higher than I have ever seen it before...
aiming to wards the West North west...from the UK..
Has anyone already commented on this or does anyone else maybe also wonder what it may had been if you have noted it ?
QuoteHow to see Venus and a crescent moon side-by-side this Thursday
A celestial phenomenon is set to occur between Venus and the moon Thursday night, according to NASA's calendar.
If you live in the Northern Hemisphere and you've got a clear sky Thursday, look to the southwest and you'll see a very bright Venus alongside a crescent moon, together two of the brightest objects in the night sky.
Venus, also known as the "evening star," is the third brightest object in the sky after the sun and the moon.
The planet is as bright as it is because of a characteristic called "albedo," which astronomers use to describe how bright a planet is by specific measurements, according to EarthSky, a website by scientists providing updates on events of the cosmos. When sunlight hits a planet, some of the light is absorbed by the planet's surface or atmosphere, and some is reflected.
(https://www.bing.com/th/id/OIP.BCNIQtwqMN5403oGo6oMBgHaF-?pid=Api&rs=1)
https://localnews8.com/news/2020/02/26/how-to-see-venus-and-a-crescent-moon-side-by-side-this-thursday/
(https://earthsky.org/upl/2020/02/2020-Feb-West-Mercury-Venus-night-sky.jpg)
https://earthsky.org/tonight/see-all-5-bright-planets-in-february
Quote
See all 5 bright planets in February
Posted by Bruce McClure in Tonight | February 10, 2020
Feb 28 - Mar 05
27
Moon and Venus close around February 27 and 28
29
For those at southerly latitudes, Canopus!
01
Moon sweeps past Pleiades and Aldebaran March 1 and 2
03
Moon and Winter Circle March 3-4
05
Moon, Castor, Pollux, Procyon on March 5
06
Moon and faint Cancer on March 6
07
Moon and Regulus on March 7 and 8
In February 2020, you should be able to see all five bright planets, two after sunset and three before sunrise. In their order outward from the sun, the five bright planets are Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. And they really are bright and noticeable in Earth's sky! The illustration above shows the five bright planets, plus Earth, in their order outward from the sun. Their relative sizes are correct in this illustration, but – in real outer space – their relative distances from one another are much more vast.
Spot the two evening planets – Venus and Mercury – in the west not long after the sun goes down. Then see the three morning planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – in the east before daybreak.
First, the evening planets ...
Chart of twilit sky with slanted ecliptic line and two planets.
By bright planet, we mean any solar system planet that's easily visible without optical aid and that's been watched since time immemorial. There are 5 of them: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn. Two planets are in the west after sunset now. Venus is a very bright object – brightest thing up there – in the western twilight sky. Mercury is fainter and below Venus. Don't wait too long to view Mercury! It'll quickly follow the sun below the western horizon.
You'll easily spot dazzling Venus, the sky's brightest planet, popping out some 30 to 45 minutes (or sooner) after sunset. If you're blessed with good eyesight, you might actually see Venus as soon as the sun sets. Some people even see it in daytime! Venus beams as the third-brightest celestial object to light up the sky, after the sun and moon.
Once you spot Venus, watch for Mercury to appear beneath Venus and close to the horizon as dusk deepens into darkness. If you have binoculars, you can catch Mercury (or Venus) even sooner after sundown.
Now is the best time to catch Mercury after sunset. Mercury reaches its greatest elongation from the setting sun on February 10, 2020. At present, it shines more brilliantly than a 1st-magnitude star (but, remember, super-brilliant Venus outshines Mercury by some 30 times). After greatest elongation on the 10th, swift-moving Mercury will begin falling sunward. It'll also begin dimming, from our earthly perspective. The innermost planet will become lost in the sun's glare after about mid-February.
Mercury will be easier to see from the Northern Hemisphere than from the Southern Hemisphere. That's because the tilt of the ecliptic – pathway of the sun, moon and planets – hits the sunset horizon at a steep angle in the Northern Hemisphere and a relatively shallow angle in the Southern Hemisphere.
We give you the approximate setting time for Mercury at various latitudes:
60 degrees north latitude
Mercury sets 2 hours after sunset
40 degrees north latitude
Mercury sets 1 3/5 hours after sunset
Equator (0 degrees latitude)
Mercury sets 1 hour after sunset
35 degrees south latitude
Mercury sets 3/4 hour after sunset
Want more specific information? Find out when the planets set in your sky at TimeandDate.com.
Now for the morning planets ...
Very slanted ecliptic line with three planets lined up in the early morning twilight.
To see the remaining 3 planets, you'll have to get up early. Look east! A string of planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn – beautifies the February morning sky. Jupiter is much brighter than Mars or Saturn; you'll surely spot it first. Mars may be noticeable for its reddish color. And Saturn is near the sunrise. Notice that a line between Mars and Jupiter points to Saturn.
During the predawn/dawn hours at this time of year, the tilt of the ecliptic favors the Southern Hemisphere for watching the morning planets – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Given an unobstructed horizon in the direction of sunrise, though, almost everyone worldwide (except far-northern latitudes, such as in Alaska) should be able to spot both Mars and Jupiter before dawn (about 90 minutes before sunrise). From far-northern latitudes, it'll take much more of an effort to spot Saturn before sunrise than at more southerly latitudes. Keep in mind that an imaginary line drawn from Mars and past Jupiter points to Saturn's place near the horizon. Binoculars will be helpful for those living at northerly outposts, where Saturn must contend with the glow of dawn.
We give you the approximate rising time for Saturn at various latitudes:
60 degrees north latitude
Saturn rises 3/5 hour before sunrise
40 degrees north latitude
Saturn rises 1 1/4 hours before sunrise
Equator (0 degrees latitude)
Saturn rises 1 3/4 hours before sunrise
35 degrees south latitude
Saturn rises 2 hours before sunrise
Want more specific information? Find out when the planets rise in your sky at TimeandDate.com.
If you miss Saturn in the next few mornings, don't fret. Saturn, which is as bright as a 1st-magnitude star, will be rising earlier and earlier all month long. Just keep watching for it. You'll spot Saturn before sunrise some morning soon.
Bottom line: Find all 5 bright planets in February 2020. Use Venus to find Mercury after sunset, and then look for Saturn in line with Mars and Jupiter in the morning sky.
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https://localnews8.com/news/2020/02/26/how-to-see-venus-and-a-crescent-moon-side-by-side-this-thursday/
I noticed Venus on its current position a long time ago and even thought of taking a photo of the Moon near Venus.
I had no idea Venus was on such display over the last few months...
Either theres been a lot of rain or cloudy skies or I just have not been out very much at night at the time it was visible over last few weeks / months
Have you seen Venus as bright as recent days before ArMaP in your lifetime..
and would you ever think it may resemble a UFO on initial sight ...?
or is it just me ! ???
Quote from: ArMaP on February 29, 2020, 01:14:56 AM
I noticed Venus on its current position a long time ago and even thought of taking a photo of the Moon near Venus.
Yes I've noticed it too...very bright on a clear night...(Venus that is)
Quote from: astr0144 on February 29, 2020, 07:47:23 PM
Have you seen Venus as bright as recent days before ArMaP in your lifetime..
Yes, many times.
Quoteand would you ever think it may resemble a UFO on initial sight ...?
Yes, if people are expecting more a UFO than a planet then I suppose they will think first "UFO". :)
If people see it while driving then their movement makes it more difficult to see if it's fixed or moving, so it makes it even more likely for people to think it's an UFO.
Thks for your thoughts / experience / comments on Venus at the moment.
I was thinking maybe I was over illucinating or something ! ??? that may have magnified it in my imagination ... :)
QuoteSgt
Yes I've noticed it too...very bright on a clear night...(Venus that is)
ArMaP
QuoteYes, if people are expecting more a UFO than a planet then I suppose they will think first "UFO". :)
If people see it while driving then their movement makes it more difficult to see if it's fixed or moving, so it makes it even more likely for people to think it's an UFO.