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Question for stargazers/astronomers

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Archibald:
I have a question regarding a star in the sky. You see, I sometimes like to take walks just as the first stars become visible, when the sun slowly goes down. Recently, this month, I began noticing a rather strange star. I first saw it unintentionally. It was bright red when near the horizon, untwinking, which made me think it was a planet. In any case, it made me curious because no star in the sky was that red. After some time, around 11 pm (east EU) I saw it again but it was orangish-yellow. I tried to search on the internet for answers, but I got nothing specific. Sone say it may be one of the planets in our solar system. Others that it is a star. Can anyone tell me what it is, if you saw it too?

Il Palazzo:
Both Saturn and Mars are currently visible low near the southern horizon in eastern Europe. Saturn is initially a bit higher, and more towards the west. Around midnight they're both about the same height above the horizon. Mars is redder and much brighter, so it's the more likely candidate.
If you want to be sure, download one of many free planetarium software, e.g. Stellarium, or World Wide Telescope. I'm sure there are many other out there, including mobile apps.

Starver:
Bearing in mind that Mars was famously¹ quite close to the eclipsed Moon, two weeks ago, and at 'closest approach for yonks' to boot. I've seen it in nights since (clear!) still more or less antipodal to the Sun as it should be (meanwhile, the Moon is a half orbit round, so shouldn't be dazzling the incidental skywatcher like yourself), and it's very obviously bright and red-tinted.

Not myself having bothered to note or look up where everything else is, at the momemt, I wouldn't dismiss your star being another planet (like Saturn) but I'd find it odd if you're seeing that and not Mars, in the position you're indicating.


¹ Allegedly! I was under clouds at the time!

Starver:
As I've just passed by a machine on which I happen to have old favourite KStars installed (rarely used, but saw it when I navigated menus for something else), I can report that 10pm tonight (for me/here, under Daylight Savings,  when it's gotten dark, but should apply equally to your respective10PM in any daylight savings northern hemishphere location) I would see Saturn fairly low (14° above the horizon) almost due South, Mars lower (5°) to the SSE, Jupiter over just beyond SW (~10° above horizon). As the evening goes on, they'll arc over to dissappear in turn (J, S, M) over in the SW.

Interestingly, it seems that Pluto is roughly mid-way between Mars and Saturn (and a little higher off the deck). It's unlikely you saw it, and its red snow, though. Whether or not you still think of it as a planet. ;)

Hope that helps!

Maximum Spin:
I'd like to add another vote to the suggestion that, if you like looking at stars, you should download some software for the purpose; it's great for figuring out what you're looking at. I'm fond of Stellarium, myself.

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