More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Budding astronomers will be able see Venus glowing high in the sky over the next few weeks.
Venus is currently the third brightest object in the sky after the sun and moon due to its highly reflective cloud cover.
However, due to it usually being so low in the sky, it is not often noticed and disappears beneath the evening horizon quite quickly.
Luckily, until the end of May, the planet will be a bright feature of the western sky after sunset and well into the night as its orbit brings it closer to Earth.
It will be getting larger in the sky as it gets closer within the next couple of weeks.
Tony Roberts, chairman of the Edenbridge and District Astronomers, suggests anyone stuck at home with a pair of binoculars might be able to see it is currently the shape of a thick crescent moon.
Venus' crescent will gradually become thinner as it passes the sun into the morning sky at the end of May, where it will no longer be visible.
A time lapse of Venus appearing in the western sky at sunset in Meopham. Video: Josh Davis
Mr Roberts says another planet will be visible during the lockdown. He added: "There is the opportunity to see the planet Mercury next to Venus in May. Mercury is closer to the Sun and not as reflective, which can make it difficult to find, particularly in bright twilight.
"On May 21, Venus will be close to and above Mercury and on 22nd it will be to the right of Mercury. You may need to use binoculars to find it after sunset. Unlike the crescent of Venus you will only see it as a star like point of light."
Mike Rushton, secretary of Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society, said despite their events being cancelled, now is the perfect time for his members to be stargazing.
He added: "Our members have been doing a lot more observing than usual for three reasons.
"Firstly the lockdown means we all have more time on our hands and are stuck at home with our telescopes. Secondly the weather has been very kind over the last week or so. And thirdly because the atmosphere has been much clearer than usual, in part due to reduced aeroplane activity."
Mr Rushton thinks this is a perfect opportunity for people to get into stargazing and encourages anyone to contact their local astronomy society for advice on where to get resources and share information.
His Dartford society are beginning to plan Thursday meetings online over Zoom so people still have somewhere to go to talk about their passion, learn more and sometimes hear from experts.
Folkestone Astronomy Club has welcomed a 25% increase in inquiries and applications to their group since lockdown began as more people look for ways to pass the time.
The Edenbridge astronomer, Mr Roberts, suggests people should take advantage of the resources which can be found on the internet.
He added: "If you don’t have a telescope there is plenty you can do on your computer at home without one. If you look up Citizen Science there are projects online which allow you to process data from satellites and telescopes and make a real contribution to our knowledge."
