Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site utastro.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxj!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hao!seismo!ut-sally!utastro!dipper
From: dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: StarDate: September 19 Venus and Spica
Message-ID: <548@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 26-Sep-84 02:00:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.548
Posted: Wed Sep 26 02:00:30 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 26-Sep-84 04:00:33 EDT
Organization: UTexas Astronomy Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 35


The planet Venus is now low in the western twilight.  More on Venus --
after this.

September 19   Venus and Spica

Tonight's a good night to welcome back an old friend -- the planet
Venus.  Venus has been behind the sun for many months -- but it now
appears as the bright object very low in the western twilight -- near
another object you may be able to see, a star, Spica.

Venus is the brightest object in the sky besides the sun and moon.
Even now -- when the planet is on the dimmer end of the scale -- Venus
far outshines Spica -- the sixteenth brightest star visible to the
eye.  And while Venus appears bright even now compared to the other
planets and stars -- it's only a dress rehearsal for her brilliant
performance as the evening star in the months ahead.

Venus returned to the evening sky only a few weeks ago -- having passed
behind the sun from our vantagepoint on Earth.  The planet is now
moving away from the sun's glare -- climbing slowly up the celestial
dome.  During the coming weeks and months -- Venus will pass her
brother planets Saturn and Jupiter in turn.

So Wednesday night -- or Thursday if it's already too late -- unclouded
skies and a clear western horizon will reveal Venus and possibly a
fainter star, Spica -- low in the west after sundown.  If you do find
the planet and the star -- watch the pair carefully for the next
several evenings.  Venus will appear to move higher up the dome of the
sky -- as Spica sinks westward into the twilight.


Script by Diana Hadley.

(c) Copyright 1983, 1984 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin