could it be I saw Jupiter and its moons on my birthday?

[MeteorWayne]

That's what I thought. Glad you did the experiment (a very fine one, BTW) and made the measurement.<br /><br />As I said, most people, until they train themselves have a lot of trouble estimating angles. Especially near the horizon, where things appear larger.<br />This give rise to the "rising moon is larger than when it's high in the sky" illusion.<br />Even as a seasoned all sky observer, I have trouble recognizing constellations that I know very well when I first see them come over the eastern horizon in the early morning hours. (Since everything rises 4 minutes earlier each night, after the sun passes by, constellations and planets are first seen right before dawn. two months later the same things rise just after midnight, 2 months after that in the late evening, 2 months after that earlier in the evening.)<br /><br />Typical self conversation at 4:15 AM in late July:<br /><br />"What the heck are those two bright stars? They're so far apart I don't recall two bright stars that distance from each other. I wonder if one's a planet, since it's on the ecliptic" {cut to 25 minutes later}<br />Wayne, you dope, that's Castor and Pollux in Gemini. Remember how far apart things appear on the horizon. You must be getting tired to not realize that right away"<br /><br />A good chuckle is had by all, which at that time is just me, the Katydids, Deer and skunks <img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /><br /><br />Wayne<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>