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Sky Event on 14-07-2010  Western Sky - Unaided eye view

It's always been exciting when we have the crescent moon in view.  No matter it's a telescopic or unaided eye view, it's fascinating and rewarding!  All the visual observing enjoyments are hardly to say by word... therefore, I would urge you to do it personally when the time has come.  For tonight, 14-7-2010, after 7.30pm until 9.30pm, you are invited to spend an hour or so to look to the western sky for planetary alignment.  Don't ever doubt this would cause anything happen but to appreciate as it's part of our nature show which we have no control over it.  No optical aid is required except for our bear eye.  Try to avoid any buildings or obstacles in the western sky as the Moon and Mercury are pretty low from horizon, if before 8pm.

Saturn, Mars, Venus, the Moon and Mercury will be the team players for the show tonight.  Saturn will pose at the highest altitude, follow by Mars, Venus, the Moon and lastly Mercury.  Due to the low altitude of Mercury, it's set in the west around 8pm.  The rest of planets will remain longer in the sky and set in the west slowly.

When the night falls, Venus will be the first object to been seen due to the negative 4 magnitude and which is about 30-degree high (3 times of the width of our fist) from the horizon.  How can you differentiate the planets and stars?  Well, the stars while planets just reflecting the sunlight, so they don't.

Good luck and clear sky!