Expert: Harry Hayfield - 4/20/2010

Question
I have also been noticing the very bright western star here in No CO. I know that Venus is frequently called the "western star" yet I had always heard that you can differentiate planets from stars in that stars "flicker" a lot and planets do not flicker. This bright western star is flickering a lot. If it is Venus, why is it flickering so much even on very clear nights?

Answer
The best way of telling which is which is to go out at the following times and look in the following directions:

1917 MDT looking due west: One star on it's own (Venus)
2006 MDT looking due west: The star that you saw earlier should now be lower down (but still as bright). Where you were looking there should be a V shaped constellation with a bright star on the top left hand corner (Aldebaran)
2100 MDT looking due west: You should see a bright star to the left of where Aldebaran was that is above Orion's Belt (Betelgeuse)

I hope that helps you figure out which is which