UFO? No, It's Venus
The
planet's glow is often mistaken for an airplane, satellite, or even an alien
spaceship.
Why does the second-brightest object in
the night sky get so little respect? At its peak, Venus outshines Sirius, the
most brilliant star, by a factor of 15; only the moon surpasses our sister
planet. Yet Venus is routinely mistaken for an airplane, a satellite or even an
alien spaceship.
Roy Craig’s riveting book UFOs: An
Insider’s View of the Official Quest for Evidence, about his investigations
for the U.S. Air Force’s Colorado Project, includes an account of veteran
police officers in Georgia chasing a mysterious, fast-moving object “about 500
feet above the ground.” Yep, it was Venus.
Perhaps people forget about the planet
because it disappears for long stretches. Its successive appearances in the
evening sky happen 19 months apart. Also, Venus never ventures more than 47 degrees
away from the sun, so it tends to hug the horizon closely — exactly where
people expect to see landing airplanes (or, apparently, flying saucers).
You can make the
correct ID tonight: Venus is that silvery beacon shining low in the west after
sunset. See if you can find the planet by day (binoculars help). Note the angle
between Venus and the sun at twilight the night before. Stand in a shadow so
the sun is out of view, aim your gaze the same angle away from the sun, and
scan. It will pop into view: Venus, the third-brightest object in the daytime
sky.
No comments:
Post a Comment