Week of Nov. 15-21, 2009 by Dennis Mammana on Creators.com

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Week of Nov. 15-21, 2009

There are few sights more beautiful than the glistening stars and planets on a clear, dark rural night. But just where do all those heavenly bodies go during the daytime? And why can't we see them when the sky is bright?

As I'm sure you already know, the answer is rather simple. Everything still lies overhead but isn't visible because the daytime sky is overwhelmed by sunlight — the ultimate in light pollution. Seeing anything against this bright blue sky is like trying to watch a film with the theater lights still on. The contrast between the subject and screen is so low that our eyes are incapable of making out details.

The same is true in the daytime sky. The difference, however, is that if we know just where to look, we can often see some of the brightest celestial objects while the sun is still up.

Monday, Nov. 23 provides us a good opportunity to give this a try. On that afternoon, we'll be able to find the first quarter moon in the southeastern part of the sky and, as the sun descends lower, it will appear more toward the southern sky.

Not far below the moon on that afternoon lies the bright planet Jupiter.

You've probably seen this beautiful glowing planet after dark, but on this day, you'll have a great chance to spot it while the sun remains above the horizon.

On that afternoon, Jupiter lies about 3 or 4 degrees to the south of the first quarter moon. To find it, make a fist and hold it up at arm's length. The width of your fist — from the thumb to the little finger — is about 10 degrees, so Jupiter will lie about one-third or one-half of a fist below the moon. Of course, it'll appear quite faint against the bright blue sky, so you'll probably need binoculars to spot it.

Another way to locate Jupiter might be to aim binoculars at the moon in the first place and then slide them downward until the moon just leaves the top of the field of view. Jupiter should then appear very near the center.

After you find Jupiter, remove the binoculars and see if you can spot it with the unaided eye. This can be challenging until the sun sets and the sky begins to darken, but if you know just where to look, you should be successful.

To find out more about Dennis Mammana and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.