Strange

[mrdiki]

Hi, I live in Birmingham, England. For the last few nights there has been a very faint star like object to the south west of Jupiter as I view it. I know it's not Saturn or any of the Galilean moons but it can't be a star as it is moving in sync with Jupiter during the evening. Could it be a comet or a geostationary satellite. Please don't giggle I'm extremely novice as an astronomer. 

[Ouroboros]

@mrdiki Can you estimate roughly how far it is from Jupiter in degrees?  What sort of instrument are you using to look at it? 

[Ouroboros]

I wonder if it’s Nashira in Capricorn about 1.5° from Jupiter. Easily seen within the same field of a pair of binoculars. It doesn’t move much relative to Jupiter each night. 
 

[mrdiki]

Many thanks at moment it's further to the left of your image. Best regards.

[mrdiki]

Ah ha sorted just done the sensible thing and checked on stellarium, I think it's Deneb. 

[Paul M]

Deneb is high in the sky, like overhead high! Sure your object isn't Fomalhaut, low to the left of Jupiter? It would seem to follow Jupiter as it rises and traverses the southern sky. 

It's worth noting that all the stars and planets travel across the sky in sync with each other. They all rise in the east and set in the west in general terms. The motion of the planets is very small per night relative to the stars. So as the stars rise each night any planets you see will move with them. Over days or weeks you might notice the planets do move against the starry sky as they orbit the Sun. 

[Pixies]

I think you were seeing Delta Capricorni - which also has the name "Deneb Algedi". 

As others have said, you won't visually observe any motion of the planets relative to the stars.

[Pixies]

Oh - and that's South-East of Jupiter. not South-West - celestially speaking.

Stars/planets move East -> West. As you look towards the southerly horizon, that means West is to the right. If you are observing with a non-tracking telescope, the drift of the stars will indicate West. It can get a bit confusing, especially when looking straight up!

And North is the direction towards Polaris (the celestial pole). So it you are looking at the northerly horizon, North is up! (and West to the right, still)

 

Took me a while to get my head around that!

And don't ask about East/West of the planets compared to the moon! ! It's different!! 🙄

[Franklin]

35 minutes ago, Pixies said:

So it you are looking at the northerly horizon, North is up! (and West to the right, still)

Think you've confused yourself there. When I look North, West is on my left usually. 😀

[Pixies]

23 hours ago, Franklin said:

Think you've confused yourself there. When I look North, West is on my left usually. 😀

Ah - perhaps I should have said celestially speaking. Yes, the terrestrial cardinal point 'west' would be to your left- but the stars are still moving to your right, which defines the celestial westerly direction.

Still facing north, but above the north celestial pole, then it reverses:

North faces the north celestial pole and West is the direction the stars move. Celestially speaking.

[Pixies]

Dear @mrdiki - so sorry for hijacking your thread!

[Franklin]

Yes, I think that's why they use the terms "Preceeding and Following", to avoid the confusion.