February 2005 Skies

Each February day brings us more sunlight. The SUN continues moving higher in the sky. 
And, as was the case in January, the Winter stars and constellations are positioned for excellent viewing this month.
 
In February we can still view Comet Macholtz when the Moon is not high in the sky.

The Sun begins February in the constellation of CAPRICORNUS.  It will remain in Sagittarius until February 16th, when it will enters AQUARIUS.

The Evening Sky
Sunset on February 1st occurs at 5:53p.m., and each following evening’s sunset happens a bit later.  On February 28th, sunset will occur at 6:18p.m.

On February 1st, the 3rd Quarter MOON rises very shortly after midnight in the constellation of VIRGO.  February’s NEW MOON occurs shortly before sunset on the 8th in the constellation of Capricornus.

The waxing MOON should be visible low in the West after sunset on the 9th and will remain in the evening sky until the Full Moon rises in the constellation of LEO just at sunset on the 23rd.  Then, look for the Moon to rise before midnight through the rest of the month.

On the evening of February 15th, the 1st Quarter Moon will pass very near the Pleiades star cluster in TAURUS.  The Pleiades is known as the “Seven Sisters” because its 7 brightest stars are a test for excellent vision.  The later you observe the better, until moonset at about 1:30a.m.

Evening Planets  SATURN, JUPITER and, later in the month, MERCURY. 
Saturn rises about two hours BEFORE sunset on the 1st, and remains in the sky for most of the night.  Saturn remains in GEMINI all month.  On the 19th, the Moon joins Saturn and the bright stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini.

Jupiter rises very shortly after 11:00p.m. on the 1st and is visible until dawn. At the end of the month, Jupiter will rise just after 9:00p.m. and will be more comfortably viewed by observers with binoculars and telescopes.  A pair of binoculars or a small telescope should show Jupiter’s four Galilean Moons (named after the famous astronomer Galileo).  On February 1st, Jupiter begins its near-annual retrograde (backwards or Westward) motion in the sky. Fortunately, throughout February, Jupiter is closer than one-degree (two Full Moons) away from the 4th magnitude star Theta Virginis.  An observer with binoculars or a small telescope could make a nice science fair project by recording Jupiter’s motion every few days in February and March.

Mercury moves rapidly from Sagittarius to Capricornus and finally into Aquarius during February and joins Jupiter and Saturn in the evening sky on January 19th.  The planet will likely be invisible in the sun’s glare from the first through perhaps the 23rd.  Beginning about the 24th, you might start to glimpse it in binoculars very low in the West (about 3-degrees above the horizon) about 30 minutes after sunset.  Still moving Eastward away from the Sun, Mercury should be much easier to see by the second week of March.

What Else to See?  The Winter Constellations, the Milky Way and Comet Machholtz
During February be sure to choose a dark night with no moon to view Comet Machholtz and the Winter Milky Way.

High in the South, is the easily recognizable constellation of Orion.  This star figure is known by a large rectangle of bright stars anchored by red Betelgeuse at upper left and white Rigel at bottom right.  In-between are the 3 famous stars of Orion’s Belt.  Follow the line of these stars upward to Taurus and the red star Aldebaran, then beyond to the Pleiades (“Seven Sisters”).  Then, below Orion’s Belt is Sirius, the brightest star in our sky. To the upper left of Orion is the constellation of Gemini, mentioned earlier to contain the bright stars Castor and Pollux and the planet Saturn.

Low in the East the zodiac constellation of the lion, LEO, is rising.  This group of stars extends from the lion’s “sickle” shaped head and mane, down to the bright star “Regulus” and further East to the large triangle of stars marking the lion’s hindquarters.  Here, Leo’s 2nd brightest star, “Denebola” literally and figuratively brings up the rear.

Comet Machholtz.  Still noticeable to a naked-eye observer in a dark location, the large diffuse head of this comet is found in the northern sky.  Although closest to the Earth in January, Comet Machholtz is easily visible throughout February.  Now moving farther away and dimming, its short tail is no longer to be seen but binoculars will show it as a glowing ball of light.  Since the comet moves through the sky each day, this website will lead to a star map of the comet’s positions during February.

The Morning Sky
Sunrise on February 1st occurs at 7:26a.m., but by the 28th, sunrise is happening at 6:58a.m. as we approach March and springtime.

The waning MOON will be visible in the morning sky through February 7th after which time it is lost in the Sun’s glare until after New Moon.  On the morning of February 4th the Moon will be be near the red star Antares in SCORPIO.  The next morning, the Moon will be below the planet Mars. On the morning of February 7th) a very thin crescent Moon will rise to the right (South) of bright planet Venus at 6:53a.m.

Morning Planets:  MARS, VENUS, and (early in February) MERCURY. 
MARS starts the month rising at 4:30a.m. in the constellation of OPHIUCHUS.  It moves into SAGITTARIUS the next day, where it remains the rest of the month. Rising at 4:08a.m. on the 28th, Mars will be even harder to see at month end, because the Sun rises 28 minutes earlier by month end (vs. 22 minutes for Mars)!  To find the red planet, look low in the Southeast at least an hour before sunrise.  Don’t mistake red Mars for the red star Antares in the heart of the Scorpio, the zodiac scorpion!  Mars is much closer to the horizon (and the Sun), trailing Antares in the sky by more than an hour.  On the morning of February 10th, use binoculars to watch Mars move very near the star 1 Sagittarii.

VENUS continues to move rapidly Eastward through Capricornus and into Aquarius in February.  The planet is quickly lost in the Sun’s glare, as it rises only 45 minutes before the Sun on the 1st, and 15 minutes before sunrise at month end.  To find Venus early in the month, look very low in the Southeast at least a half-hour before sunrise.  Venus will, however, move into the Evening sky during March.

Mercury rises at 7:02a.m. on the 1st (25 minutes before the Sun) and is likely invisible in the morning sky.  This planet also rapidly moves through Capricornus and into Aquarius, first lagging and then leading the Sun.

What Else to See?   Some Moon-Planet close approaches are mentioned above.  But observers with binoculars or small telescopes may want to watch the Moon occult (eclipse) or approach very close to stars of 6th magnitude or brighter on the mornings of February 5th, 18th, 21st and 28th, and on the evenings of February 12th, and 13th.  A listing with specific times and additional details of these events can found here.

There are no impressive Meteor Showers or (as of the time of writing this column) any bright comets scheduled to be visible in February.  But, this should not detract morning observers from viewing the summer Milky Way before dawn, or evening observers from enjoying the Winter Milky Way after dark.

On Friday, February 11th beginning at about 6:00p.m., the East Valley Astronomy Club will be hosting a Free Public Star Party at their observatory site East of the Gilbert Public Library.  Several telescopes will be available for public viewing of wintertime astronomical objects.

Good Luck Observing!