'You don't really think that is Jupiter do you?'

[Johnboy]

Hi folks,

Last Saturday I spent the evening with my family and friends at a bonfire party.

Amongst the guests were my niece and her new boyfriend. (Both in their mid twenties). After a while my niece pointed at a bright object in the sky and said she thought it was a plane but it couldn't be because it wasn't moving. So I told her it was Jupiter. She seemed impressed until her boyfriend bent toward her ear and whispered, 'You don't really think that is Jupiter do you?'

She nodded but didn't know what to say. I kept quiet because I didn't want to put her in an embarrassing situation.

A few hours later the subject came up again only this time he said outright that it wasn't Jupiter. I told him it was but he just argued, not even considering that he might be mistaken. He didn't even say what he thought it was just that it definitely wasn't Jupiter. Anyway, my daughter's boyfriend fortunately has an app on his phone called 'Google Sky' which can identify any celestial object when the phone is pointed at it. My nieces boyfriend took the phone and pointed it at Jupiter and stared at it for ages, not believing his eyes. Eventually he muttered, 'Well, I'll eat my words,' before wondering off mumbling something to my niece.

Some people hey?

Regards,

John

[4lefts]

yep... the frightening thing about this kind of people is they're everywhere and they look just like normal people.

[Syntarsus]

I always expect that if such people are made to look foolish enough times they'll eventually pause and think before opening their mouths. Not sure it works that way though.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

I'd have made him eat his phone.

[Mike Hawtin]

I always expect that if such people are made to look foolish enough times they'll eventually pause and think before opening their mouths. Not sure it works that way though.

Not in my experience unfortunately, I actually feel a bit sorry for them.

[MorningMajor]

Google Sky - notoriously unreliable - maybe he was right! lol

(just joking!)

[Johnboy]

Google Sky - notoriously unreliable - maybe he was right! lol

(just joking!)

He did look at the moon as well just to check...

[Charon]

Had the same here the other night when for a brief break in the clouds Jupiter was there in all her glory and my friend said it was an aircrafts landing lights but would he listen...

[Astro Imp]

I always expect that if such people are made to look foolish enough times they'll eventually pause and think before opening their mouths. Not sure it works that way though.

Pretty sure it doesn't work like that, they get set in their world view and don't consider that there are others who might know a little more than them.

[earth titan]

Never argue with an idiot! They just bring you down to their level, then beat you with experience.

[nicnac]

Am i the only one wondering what the mumbling words of an "all knowing, twenty something were? Lol

[661-pete]

This may be casting a damper on this thread, but, honestly, why be so smug?

I fully appreciate that many people are not familiar with the night sky - after all, if they live in town, they hardly ever see it! Sometimes I try to point things out, but if someone chooses to argue the toss with me, let them!

And I - for all my claims to knowledge - can get it wrong too. Though for me it's usually the other way round: I'll casually point out a bright object and say "That's Jupiter/Venus/Mars/whatever" "But Pete, it's moving, and it's flashing" "Oops no - that's an aircraft - I mean, that's Jupiter...."

Anyone want to put hand on heart and say, they've never been caught!?

[Stu]

Well I have identified, with confidence, the ISS once, when it was actually a chinese lantern so I know where you are coming from :-)

I guess you kind of answer your own question though. Most of us are humble enough to know our own limitations but when you come across someone who knows little about the subject but still argues with complete certainty that they are right, it gets a little. tiresome!

Stu

[661-pete]

Possibly. My personal choice, in such a situation, would be to back off, without seeming to agree too much with the other guy's blatant ignorance.

And then, I suppose, turn to a forum like SGL and have your say there! But without your antagonist able to respond, you're punching thin air.

Maybe the OP should point his niece's bf towards the delights of SGL, and hint that he could benefit a lot from signing up! How about it?

[cantab]

I understand being sceptical, after all Jupiter (and all the other planets except Earth) just look like bright stars to the naked eye. But there's a difference between doubting someone and telling others they're wrong behind their back, and a difference between doubting someone and getting into a pointless argument with them.

[leemanley]

We also had the niece and new boyfriend round on bonfire night, they both looked at the moon and jupiter for the first time through a scope, both left open mouthed and amazed at what they saw. Felt good giving someone the chance to see something special. No app phones present !

[Quark]

He did look at the moon as well just to check...

As he thought that it might be a big ball of cheese in the sky.

[UnderTheRain]

yep... the frightening thing about this kind of people is they're everywhere and they look just like normal people.

Haha that made me lol :-)

[Ags]

Lots of people seem to expect Jupiter to be very faint and not visible at all without a telescope.

[rightguard]

few years ago when i discovered my love for astronomy was when i found out that the brightest star in the sky at the time was in fact venus. checked with stellarium of course.

dragged my mate out, showed him, showed him stellarium, showed him sky maps. would he listen. would he hell.

[rightguard]

As he thought that it might be a big ball of cheese in the sky.

hehe even conspiracists cant deny that a man and his dog have been to the moon and met a skiiing robot!!!

[twotter]

Until someone sees Jupiter through a telescope it doesn't seem unreasonable to me for them to think it's just a bright star. Before I became interested in astronomy I wouldn't have thought twice about what it was. Now, with the benefit of Stellarium, I'm much more informed

[Johnboy]

This may be casting a damper on this thread, but, honestly, why be so smug?

No smugness here. Like I originally posted, I backed away at first not wanting a confrontation as it was the first time I'd met him, but for him to start talking as if I was making it all up and mocking me just seemed a bit much.

[jimmyjamjoejoe]

We should all carry around small refractors strapped to our backs so we can bust them out like a superhero at times like these.

"That's not jupiter!"

"Ohhhhh really?" *Rrrriipppp-click-snap-pop-rachetsounds* "Then what would you call THIS?!"

"ARRRGGGHHHH i have been proven wrong and am shamed...."

[Madhatter]

Some people just find it hard to believe i think!

I had to really explain to someone it was jupiter - him and his girlfriend were both convinced that jupiter was infact the ISS! lol.