Bright Blue White Star

[ferlew]

My house faces south, so if I look up into the sky, approx SSW, there is a really bright star. How can I find out what it is please ?

[mibn2cweus]

Sirius would be due south just after midnight this time of year for most observers in the Northern Hemisphere . . . directly overhead from 16 degrees south latitude.

[ToraToraTora]

yep bright "star" in the west after sunset or in the east after sunrise = Venus

[ferlew]

Just saw this post pop up again, and went out to look, twinkling away there now in the same (ish) spot. The only other thing I can see now is another quite bright 'star' due east and a lot higher up in the sky.

[ToraToraTora]

mars is a bit higher up and to the left of venus, if that helps. Together they point to neptune if you have a telescope.

[bhg481]

If it's bright, high and due east it's probably Aldeberan you're looking at (the "eye" of Taurus, the bull. It's normally considered to be reddish though.

[bhg481]

Incidentallyu, if you go out at about 8 in the morming, jupiter will be roughly where mars is now (as pointed to by TTT)

[Tuvok]

Stars twinkle, planets don't.

Don't know if you get Star Walk for android - on the ipad it will actually orientate to the direction you are facing and will actually overlay the star chart on a view of your sky using the built in camera.

You can also get a star chart that you use by holding above your head

http://www.heavens-above.com/skychart2.aspx

[ferlew]

I tried the google sky map, but my phone says it doesn't have either a compass, or an accelerometer, so the app may not work.

Just downloaded Heavens Above, thank you, and yes - Venus and Mars, love that site :)

[Prudie]

Venus is currently shining way brighter than anything else at the moment, almost spacestation bright. I don't see how it could be mistaken for other planets or stars.

[Tuvok]

Use Heavens Above and your latitude/longitude then you will get times for when the space station is visible.

[mibn2cweus]

heavens-above.com

My favorite go to as well for what's up.