A Burnham-On-Sea telescope enthusiast and astronomy lecturer is urging local people to get outside and see the planet Venus this week.
Greg Dye-Hodge Beardsley, who is often seen with his telescope on Burnham seafront, took this impressive shot of the Moon, with its dark side also illuminated, alongside Venus this week.
He told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I have been asked if the very bright star seen in the pre-dawn sky and again after dark is a return of the Christmas Star. Well, sadly not – they are two different objects.”
“In the dawn sky we are currently seeing Venus and in the evening Jupiter. However, children might like to think of them as the 2012 Christmas Star.”
“I would encourage readers to let their children see the great event of the morning star and the evening star as it will not happen like this again for eleven years.”
Greg added that the photo on the right shows Jupiter with its four so-called Galilean satellites as they are also appearing this week.
“Jupiter is currently quite superb when seen even with a small telescope,” he says.
“Its weather belts can be seen as well as at least four of its Moons, which are Io, Callisto, Ganymede and Europa.”
“It’s incredible that the dark lines crossing the planet’s globe are weather bands, so you are looking at the meteorology of a far distant world.”
