There are a lot of planets visible 'up there' at the moment - but which is which?

Mid-evening, look to the north east and you'll see a stunningly bright 'star' shining above the horizon. This is Jupiter, the easiest planet to find. Earlier in the evening, after sunset, look to the west and you can see three others in a line. Mercury is the faintest, and closest to the horizon, Venus, the brightest, shines to its upper left. And to the upper left of Venus, Mars can be seen shining with an orange glow.

On January 22 a beautiful crescent Moon will shine between Mars and Venus, so we're having a Planet Watch. If the sky is clear, come and join us at Kendal Castle after 5pm and we'll show you the planets, and lunar features too. Just be aware it's muddy up there after all the rain, so be careful and dress sensibly.

Stuart Atkinson

Eddington Astronomical Society of Kendal