How to see Uranus in the night sky (without a telescope) this week

[Admin]

Just how many planets are visible without a telescope? Most people will answer "five," but there is a sixth planet that can be glimpsed without visual aid: the planet Uranus.

How to see Uranus in the night sky (without a telescope) this week : Read more

 

[Helio]

Nice article! The "George" approach may have been Herschel's plan to follow in Galileo's footsteps who honored the Medici family who were his patrons. There were pecuniary benefits in doing so for both astronomers. It was another that renamed the moons.

The problem was that the French were less than enthusiastic about a planet named for a British king. Then there were those colonists who weren't that thrilled either with honoring King George, I can imagine.

Surprisingly, it took about 40 years of debating to give us the no. 1 bathroom pun name that we have today, or is it no. 2? [sorry. My wife beats me up with that planet's name.] I prefer the original from Herschel given my name is...

George

 

[rod]

Nice article! The "George" approach may have been Herschel's plan to follow in Galileo's footsteps who honored the Medici family who were his patrons. There were pecuniary benefits in doing so for both. It was another that renamed them.

The problem was that the French were less than enthusiastic about a planet named for a British king. Then there were those colonists who weren't that thrilled either with honoring King George, I can imagine.

Surprisingly, it took about 40 years of debating to give us the no. 1 bathroom pun name that we have today, or is it no. 2? [sorry. My wife beats me up with that planet's name.] I prefer the original from Herschel given my name is...

George

Helio, you are inviting me to respond here about the name, *your*

 

[Helio]

We could quickly turn this into a pun thread, though I would want to plan it.

 

[rod]

"But Uranus is currently shining at magnitude +5.7, relatively dim on the scale; barely visible by a keen naked eye on very dark, clear nights."

That is a faint target for many folks to see today. Where I live at in a more rural area with no lights, I see about magnitude +5.6 or so. 10x50 binoculars will help here---Rod

 

[Helio]

"But Uranus is currently shining at magnitude +5.7, relatively dim on the scale; barely visible by a keen naked eye on very dark, clear nights."

That is a faint target for many folks to see today. Where I live at in a more rural area with no lights, I see about magnitude +5.6 or so. 10x50 binoculars will help here---Rod

Yep. It takes some darker skies to see it. It won't be 5.6 until Dec 2026.