<p>At Paris, Jupiter sets at 12:51 am and Saturn sets at 3:37 am.  Both are bright and both set in the southwest.  At 1:05 AM, Saturn would have been at 15 degrees elevation in the SSW.  The Moon would have been to the SW at about the same altitude.</p>

<p>So it looks like this was Saturn.  (Someone with a full-up planetarium program could confirm.)</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T12:21:03.420Z
2018-07-31T12:21:03.420Z
Mark Olson
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/hxgt6.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/hxgt6.png" alt="![enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Here's a <a href="http://stellarium.org/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Stellarium</a> simulation of the Paris sky at the time you indicate. Mars and the Moon are at about the same altitude, as in your photo, while Saturn is further to the west, a little higher, and two or three magnitudes dimmer.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T18:14:29.417Z
Check the time zone, I think you might be an hour out.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T19:35:49.210Z
@JamesK Huh, I didn't realize Paris was on UTC+2 in the summer. The extra hour actually doesn't change the image very much, though.
rob
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T16:12:12.463Z
2018-07-31T16:12:12.463Z
rob
<p>I think it is Mars.  Although it's difficult to tell, just looking at the image, but if it were Saturn then you would also be able to see Mars.  Mars is much brighter than Saturn at the moment, so if Saturn were visible, Mars would be even brighter.  The fact that there is only one bright object (other than the moon) is, I think, conclusive evidence that this must be Mars.</p>

<p>Looking over the city, the large brick building on the Rue St Gille is visible, and the object is visible directly in line with the phone mast on that building. That gives a direction just East of South. Checking with Stellarium at the given time shows Mars at exactly that position, at an azimuth of 171. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T13:47:37.763Z
That's plausible except that the OP said that it wasn't red enough to be Mars -- and goodness knows that Mars looks very bright and orange these nights!  An argument in favor of Mars is that this is a couple days after Mars and the Moon had a conjunction. You may well be right.
Mark Olson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T15:37:52.673Z
@MarkOlson looking over a city there may be too much local light pollution
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T15:44:31.460Z
I've checked on stellarium, using the direction evidence in the photo, and Mars is an exact fit.  I've edited to add this to your answer.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T15:47:31.773Z
@JamesK Could please elaborate ?
Olórin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T15:52:24.883Z
@Carl Witthoft: You may be right.  I just remembered that I have a planetarium program on my iPad. When I set up the place and time it shows the Moon just a bit east of SE and  Mars just a bit east of S. Saturn is  due SSW.  All three are at the same altitude. If we knew the direction of the photo, it would be clearer, but I have to agree that it's Mars.  If the circled object was Saturn, Mars would have to be on a line connecting Saturn with the Moon, and there's nothing there.
Mark Olson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T15:52:52.003Z
I've added the second paragraph.  I identifed the building visible in your image using google maps. I think it is the brick building on Rue St Gilles. That gives me a direction of the object of about 10 degrees East of South.  I then used planeterium software to to simulate the view from the direction given, and Mars is 10 degrees E of S at that time and date.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T17:59:00.680Z
@JamesK Thx a lot !
Olórin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T21:06:32.827Z
TJamesK  Thanks for the edits.  I also checked using Guide 9.1, which is why I could see that if it were Saturn, Mars would also be there and much brighter.
Dr Chuck
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T13:25:42.253Z
2018-07-31T22:09:22.537Z
2018-07-31T22:09:22.537Z
Dr Chuck
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ssSp5.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ssSp5.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>The picture was taken with a smartphone camera at Latitude 48.860045 | Longitude: 2.366202 the 31th of July at 01h07min15s Paris time. On the left is obviously the Moon, and the lower red circle points the point of Latitude: 48.852886 | Longitude: 2.369167. (It's the angel of liberty, place de la Bastille, Paris.)</p>

<p>What does the upper circle point to ?</p>

<p>At the beginning I thought it was Venus, but as far as I remember, it disappears quite early in the evening. I don't think it is Mars : the light reflection on it isn't red enough.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T09:47:10.390Z
There is also a google sky map, it is wonderful! You can see the sky with your mobile.
peterh
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T09:58:12.010Z
I know I tried on mobile, but typically, if it's Venus or Mars, I will be able to see their positions live.
Olórin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T12:56:28.743Z
Voted up simply because it's one of the very few examples of a question like this where enough quality info is supplied to allow people to make something more than guesses.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T15:13:14.600Z
@StephenG Thank you Stephen. It's cheering me up since my question was downvoted one time, and I asked myself then : what do you have to do these days on stackexchange sites not to be downvoted if you're downvoted with a precise and acceptable question.
Olórin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-07-31T15:30:45.770Z
It would be better if the down voter explained their issue, although of course they're not required to on SE.
StephenG - Help Ukraine
<amateur-observing>
Which planet or star is this?
Olórin
# Which planet or star is this?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-07-31)

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ssSp5.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/ssSp5.jpg)

The picture was taken with a smartphone camera at Latitude 48.860045 | Longitude: 2.366202 the 31th of July at 01h07min15s Paris time. On the left is obviously the Moon, and the lower red circle points the point of Latitude: 48.852886 | Longitude: 2.369167. (It's the angel of liberty, place de la Bastille, Paris.)

What does the upper circle point to ?

At the beginning I thought it was Venus, but as far as I remember, it disappears quite early in the evening. I don't think it is Mars : the light reflection on it isn't red enough.

**Tags:** amateur-observing

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: There is also a google sky map, it is wonderful! You can see the sky with your mobile.  
> **username_0**: I know I tried on mobile, but typically, if it's Venus or Mars, I will be able to see their positions live.  
> **username_2**: Voted up simply because it's one of the very few examples of a question like this where enough quality info is supplied to allow people to make something more than guesses.  
> **username_0**: @username_2 Thank you Stephen. It's cheering me up since my question was downvoted one time, and I asked myself then : what do you have to do these days on stackexchange sites not to be downvoted if you're downvoted with a precise and acceptable question.  
> **username_2**: It would be better if the down voter explained their issue, although of course they're not required to on SE.  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2018-07-31. Score: 12 | Accepted answer

I think it is Mars. Although it's difficult to tell, just looking at the image, but if it were Saturn then you would also be able to see Mars. Mars is much brighter than Saturn at the moment, so if Saturn were visible, Mars would be even brighter. The fact that there is only one bright object (other than the moon) is, I think, conclusive evidence that this must be Mars.

Looking over the city, the large brick building on the Rue St Gille is visible, and the object is visible directly in line with the phone mast on that building. That gives a direction just East of South. Checking with Stellarium at the given time shows Mars at exactly that position, at an azimuth of 171.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: That's plausible except that the OP said that it wasn't red enough to be Mars -- and goodness knows that Mars looks very bright and orange these nights!  An argument in favor of Mars is that this is a couple days after Mars and the Moon had a conjunction. You may well be right.  
> **username_7**: @username_3 looking over a city there may be too much local light pollution  
> **username_5**: I've checked on stellarium, using the direction evidence in the photo, and Mars is an exact fit.  I've edited to add this to your answer.  
> **username_0**: @username_5 Could please elaborate ?  
> **username_3**: @username_7: You may be right.  I just remembered that I have a planetarium program on my iPad. When I set up the place and time it shows the Moon just a bit east of SE and  Mars just a bit east of S. Saturn is  due SSW.  All three are at the same altitude. If we knew the direction of the photo, it would be clearer, but I have to agree that it's Mars.  If the circled object was Saturn, Mars would have to be on a line connecting Saturn with the Moon, and there's nothing there.  
> **username_5**: I've added the second paragraph.  I identifed the building visible in your image using google maps. I think it is the brick building on Rue St Gilles. That gives me a direction of the object of about 10 degrees East of South.  I then used planeterium software to to simulate the view from the direction given, and Mars is 10 degrees E of S at that time and date.  
> **username_0**: @username_5 Thx a lot !  
> **username_6**: TJamesK  Thanks for the edits.  I also checked using Guide 9.1, which is why I could see that if it were Saturn, Mars would also be there and much brighter.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2018-07-31. Score: 2

At Paris, Jupiter sets at 12:51 am and Saturn sets at 3:37 am. Both are bright and both set in the southwest. At 1:05 AM, Saturn would have been at 15 degrees elevation in the SSW. The Moon would have been to the SW at about the same altitude.

So it looks like this was Saturn. (Someone with a full-up planetarium program could confirm.)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-07-31. Score: 1

[![![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/hxgt6.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/hxgt6.png)

Here's a [Stellarium](http://stellarium.org/) simulation of the Paris sky at the time you indicate. Mars and the Moon are at about the same altitude, as in your photo, while Saturn is further to the west, a little higher, and two or three magnitudes dimmer.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Check the time zone, I think you might be an hour out.  
> **username_4**: @username_5 Huh, I didn't realize Paris was on UTC+2 in the summer. The extra hour actually doesn't change the image very much, though.  

---

