Current
Astronomy "Headlines"
Full Moon
February 07
|
Last Quarter
February 14
|
New Moon
February 21
|
First Quarter
February 29
|
Listed
below are notable astronomical events coming up for the month of
February 2012:
Naked-Eye
Planets
Mercury
At the very beginning of February, Mercury is a morning object,
but so deep in the Sun’s glare that seeing it will be impossible.
Mercury comes to superior conjunction after midnight on the 7th,
then technically becomes an evening object thereafter. Throughout
the rest of the month, Mercury sets daily progressively farther
from the Sun’s glare, although more than half the month will
be gone before Mercury makes it far enough out of the Sun’s
glare to practically be able to see it with the naked eye. The on-day-old
crescent Moon passes about 5.5 degrees north of Mercury on the evening
of the 22nd, then finishes the month setting at about 7:30 p.m.
in western Pisces, the best time of this month to view the swift
little planet.
Venus
Venus begins the month of February in the constellation of Pisces
at about 40 degrees east of the Sun, setting only a little before
9 p.m. Venus will continue to set ever later and farther from the
sunset all month long, gaining over 4 more degrees of separation
between it and the Sun in our sky all month long! On the 9th of
the month, Venus overtakes the much dimmer, more distant (but far
larger) planet Uranus in a very close conjunction in the constellation
Pisces! The young, waxing crescent Moon passes less than 4 degrees
NE of Venus, making a beautiful pairing, on the evening of the 25th
of the month, and finishes the month at 44.3 degrees east of the
Sun, setting at a little after 9:45 p.m. on the last night of the
month. At that time Venus shines glaringly in the constellation
Pisces at magnitude -4.2 and displays a disk of 18.42 arc-seconds.
Mars
At the beginning of February, Mars is rising at about 8:45 p.m.
in eastern Leo almost 8.5 degrees south of Leo’s tail, the
star Denebola. The waning gibbous Moon passes almost 9.5 degrees
south of Mars on the 9th of the month. Mars exhibits noticeable
retrograde motion throughout the month, its annual motion carrying
it westward through the stars during that time. At the end of the
month, Mars rises very shortly after sunset as it prepares to come
to solar opposition early next month. The Red Planet shines at magnitude
-1.2 and shows a 13.85 arc-second disk diameter by month’s
end.
Jupiter
Jupiter is up high in the SSW an hour after sunset in western Aries
by the time the Sun has set at the first of February. On the 26th
the waxing crescent Moon bypasses Jupiter about 4 degrees to the
NW, and by the end of the month, Jupiter is setting a little before
10:45 p.m. At that time, Jupiter shines at magnitude -2.2 and displays
a whopping 36.00 arc-second disk diameter – although shrinking,
still nearly 3 times as large as the current Martian angular diameter!
Saturn
At the first of February, Saturn rises at about11:45 p.m. a little
over 7 degrees NE of the star Spica in Virgo. On the 12th the waning
crescent Moon bypasses Saturn to the SE by a little over 9 degrees.
By the end of the month, Saturn rises at about 5 minutes before
10 p.m. Saturn shines at magnitude 0.4 and shows a 18.34 arc-second
disk at this time, with the ring system diameter exceeding the diameter
of the disk of mighty Jupiter at 41.6 arc-seconds!
Telescopic
Planets
Uranus
Uranus is getting in the west in the constellation Pisces after
sunset in February, about 9 degrees east of the piercingly brilliant
planet Venus at the beginning of the month. Venus rapidly closes
on Uranus and overtakes it on the 9th of the month for a close conjunction.
The 2-day-old crescent Moon bypasses Uranus to the NW by about 6.5
degrees on the evening of the 23rd. Uranus finishes the month about
5.5 degrees east of the emerging Mercury in the evening sky. However,
Uranus will be extremely low in the west by this time only about
an hour after sunset. This will probably be the last month until
fall to have a chance to see Uranus in the evening. It is possible
to observe Uranus through binoculars or telescopes as a pale blue,
steadily-shining “star” in binoculars, and a small telescope
at moderate-to-high power (about 75x or more) will reveal its disc
(magnitude 5.9, and 3.34 arc-seconds on 2/29).
Neptune
Unless you have an extremely flat western or eastern horizon and
absolutely pristine viewing conditions on the night you observe,
Neptune spends all of February either in or very near to the Sun’s
glare. Neptune reaches solar conjunction on the 19th of the month,
and thereafter rises before the Sun in the morning sky. Next month
should provide better viewing for early morning risers!
Dwarf
Planets
Ceres
The dwarf planet / asteroid
Ceres begins February about 4 degrees NE of Iota Ceti at magnitude
9.2. The planet Venus passes just under 7 degrees north of Ceres
on the 15th of the month. The waxing crescent Moon then passes just
over 11 degrees north of Ceres on the evening of the 24th. Ceres
finishes the month setting at 8:40 p.m., still at magnitude 9.2.
Pluto
At the first of February,
tiny Pluto rises at about 5 a.m. just over 5 degrees east of the
star Mu Sagittarii. On the morning of the 17th the waning crescent
Moon passes closest for the month at about 5 degrees east of Pluto,
right next to Mu Sagittarii. By the end of the month, Pluto rises
at roughly 3:15 a.m., at just under 6 degrees east of Mu Sagittarii.
With observing experience, a great deal of patience and persistence,
as well as an excellently-detailed star map, a dedicated observer
may be able to spot Pluto using the star Mu Sagittarii (at magnitude
3.58) as a dim, but visible, guide star. Be prepared for a challenge,
though. The icy dwarf planet is only visible as a very modest, slight
“dot” of a star in a telescope of at least 8”-10”
aperture. A very detailed star chart (as well as a great amount
of patience and endurance!) is vitally necessary in order to spot
it! Pluto glows feebly at magnitude 14.1.
*****
*****
Meteor
Showers - http://amsmeteors.org/showers.html
Viewable
Comets - http://cometography.com/current_comets.html
Special
events - http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights |
