Current
Astronomy "Headlines"
Last Quarter
February 05
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New Moon
February 13
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First Quarter
February 21
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Full Moon
February 28
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Listed
below are notable astronomical events coming up for the month of
February 2010:
Naked-Eye
Planets
Venus
Early February is not a good time for viewing Venus. Although the
planet is on the evening side of the Sun, it is still deep in the
solar glare for at least the first half of the month. On Valentine’s
Day, the 1-day-old crescent Moon and the planet Jupiter are in conjunction
with Venus, although Venus itself will be only about 8 degrees away
from the Sun, and 2 days afterwards (on the 16th) will be in closest
conjunction with Jupiter in the constellation Aquarius, although
still within about 9 degrees of the glare of sunset. Venus continues
to rise modestly higher above the solar disk through the end of
the month, which will place Venus still only about 11.5 degrees
east of the Sun, and setting at about 7 p.m. However, Venus will
continue to increase its setting height, gradually making it out
of the Sun’s glare by March, and getting progressively better
continuing into spring and summer!
Jupiter
Jupiter sets at about 7:15 p.m. local time in the constellation
of Aquarius at the beginning of February. Jupiter fades into the
glare of sunset the entire month and is bypassed by the thin crescent
Moon on the 14th and by Venus on the 16th. On the last day of the
month, Jupiter is in conjunction with the Sun and next month will
be rising before the Sun, although deep in the glare of sunrise
for the vast majority of the month. The best chance you have to
view Jupiter is as early in the month as possible! You can observe
the giant Jupiter in a telescope, revealing cloud bands and the
4 Galilean moons. Even a pair of binoculars, though, will reveal
at least some of these 4 moons, provided you can hold your binoculars
steadily enough! At this time, Jupiter shines at a still bright
-2.0 magnitude, and sports a diminished(for Jupiter) 32.92 arc-second
equatorial diameter, and a 30.79 arc-second polar diameter.
Mars
Feast your eyes on the Red Planet this month! February will probably
be the best month this year overall to see Mars as bright as possible
and as long and high up above the horizon as possible all at the
same time. The Red Planet begins February in the constellation Cancer,
roughly 3 degrees north of the Beehive Cluster, M44. Mars exhibits
retrograde motion all month long and moves toward the Twins (the
stars Pollux and Castor) of Gemini, although Mars actually remains
in Cancer the whole month. On the 25th of the month, Mars is joined
by the waning Full Moon. By month’s end, Mars has retrograded
into the western Cancer, about 8 degrees SW of Pollux. Mars is shining
at magnitude -0.6 (slightly brighter that the bright star Arcturus
of Bootes.) Mars sports a respectable 12.10 arc-second diameter
disk (this is about 2/3 the size the planetary diameter of the disk
of Saturn – not including the rings – as seen from Earth!)
Saturn
Saturn is pretty well into the evening sky at the beginning of February,
rising at about 9:45 p.m. MST in western Virgo! Saturn is joined
by the waning gibbous Moon on the evening 2nd. Saturn exhibits retrograde
motion for the entire month as it prepares to go into opposition
to the Sun in the latter part of next month. By the end of the month,
Saturn rises a little after 7:45 p.m. – much better-placed
in the evening sky than at the end of last month to have a look!
If you have even a modest telescope, you should be able to observe
Saturn and its ring system in the eyepiece beginning with modest
power (at least 30x-35x). In addition, Saturn’s largest moon,
Titan, can nearly always be seen relatively close to the planet.
With good seeing conditions, up to nearly a half-dozen other Saturnian
satellites are within reach of most moderately-sized backyard telescopes!
At the end of the month the rings’ major axis is 43.8”
and minor axis is 3.0”. At this time, Saturn will shine at
magnitude 0.6 and show an equatorial diameter of 19.31 arc-seconds
and a polar diameter of 17.23 arc-seconds.
Mercury
Mercury begins February in eastern Sagittarius, rising at a little
before 6 a.m. Since Mercury came into greatest western elongation
from the Sun at the end of last month, the swift little planet sinks
daily closer into the dawn glare of the Sun. Mercury is joined by
the waning crescent Moon on the mornings of the 11th and 12th, around
which time Mercury also crosses over into the constellation Capricornus.
Mercury comes to within less than a degree of the bright star Deneb
Algedi in eastern Capricornus on the morning of the 25th and by
the end of the month, rises at just before 6:30 a.m., deep in the
Sun’s glare, virtually unviewable.
Telescopic
Planets
Uranus
At the beginning of February, Uranus starts off the month at only
about 22.5 degrees above the WSW horizon in extreme western Pisces
at about 7 p.m. local time. Uranus sinks toward the west and is
bypassed by the Moon on the nights of the 15th and 16th. Uranus
finishes the month about 4 degrees straight above Venus after sunset
while facing the west horizon. 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
3.33 arc-seconds on 2/28).
Neptune
Neptune is in extreme eastern Capricornus for all of February, beginning
the month about 2.5 degrees north of the star Deneb Algedi, and
setting only slightly after 6:30 p.m. Essentially, for the entire
month, Neptune will be unviewable in the Sun’s glare, and
reaching solar conjunction on Valentine’s Day. Thereafter,
Neptune is technically a morning object and rises before the Sun,
but will still be too deep in the sun’s glare to see until
perhaps the last day of the month with a totally flat eastern horizon
in a brightening sky. By the end of the month Neptune rises at around
6:15 a.m. about 2.5 degrees west of Mercury. Neptune appears as
a slightly deeper blue-hued “star” in binoculars than
Uranus normally does, but also much less bright. A telescope will
barely reveal a very small disc (magnitude 8.0, and 2.16 arc-seconds
on 2/28) at high power (150x or more).
Dwarf
Planets
Ceres
The dwarf
planet / asteroid Ceres is rising in the constellation Ophiuchus
at a little after 3:30 a.m., a little over 4 degrees south of the
star Sabik, or Eta Ophiuchi, in that constellation at the beginning
of February. The waning crescent Moon passes closest (about 6.5
degrees south) on the morning of the 8th. At the end of the month
Ceres will rise at a little before 2:30 a.m. at nearly 8.5 degrees
SE of the star Sabik, or Eta Ophiuchi. An observer will be able
to view Ceres with a telescope (although a detailed star chart will
be necessary to pinpoint its position), although far from glaringly,
and even then Ceres’ disc is too small to be seen through
any but the largest professional ground-based telescopes. Ceres
should appear as a “dot” of a star, much like Pluto,
only it will be visible with MUCH more modest viewing equipment!
On the last day of the month, Ceres’ magnitude is 8.9.
Pluto
In the month of February,
tiny Pluto rises at around 4:40 a.m. in northern Sagittarius, about
3.0 degrees NE of Mu Sagittarii. Pluto slowly gains height in the
morning sky during the month and is bypassed about 8 degrees to
the SW by the waning crescent Moon on the 9th of the month. Pluto
finishes the month rising at just before 3 a.m., long before the
Sun for dedicated pre-dawn observers. Although now classified as
a dwarf planet, Pluto still makes as possible a telescopic target
as it ever did, under the right conditions! 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
aforementioned 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! At month’s end,
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
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