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  Marique May 11, 2012 at 7:38pm

  Hi OrangeC.  I live in Florida too and when I look out my front door in the evening I see something that looks like a star but a whole LOT larger and it so very intensely bright.  I have to admit that I know less than jack sh-- about stars so I cannot tell you where exactly it is in the sky but I can say that it is no where near where I am seeing the moon...Guess I will have to look into what star it is I am seeing but it is the most bright thing in the sky where I live, and every day I wonder what to heck it could be....maybe a planet or something.....I am just agreeing that whatever we are seeing here is Florida is really really bright, and I am glad I am not the only one that is noticing this.  I never saw it when I first moved here to Florida, it just seems to be that way lately....will get back to you if I figure out what it is....
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    Marique > Marique May 11, 2012 at 7:43pm

    I think I found what I have been looking for and here is a link for the information.  It may be Sirius I am seeing because this article says it is the brightest star in the south part of the world...

    http://earthsky.org/brightest-stars/sirius-the-brightest-star

     

    Is this what you are seeing?
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      OrangeC > Marique May 11, 2012 at 7:51pm

      it looks very similar!
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        3smn7ct05z5dx > OrangeC May 11, 2012 at 10:25pm

        Perhaps you should grab a compass and let us know what direction in the sky the object is as well as your geographical location.  Note the time and general direction and the general height in degrees of the object.  The ground is Zero degrees, straight up is 90 degrees.

        Also a rule of thumb when star gazing is if it twinkles it is a star, if not it is a planet.

        This is a link detailing the brightest objects in the sky right now.

        http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/visible-planets-tonight-ma...

        Jupiter is not visible right now, but is usually one of the brighter objects in the northern sky.  This article says that Venus is the brightest object currntly in the northern sky. 
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  3smn7ct05z5dx May 11, 2012 at 2:52am

  The brightest object in the northern sky is often Jupiter.  If you are not looking perfectly straight up you aren't looking at Polaris.