To the reader:
The Skywatcher's Diary for February 2006 has been prepared by
Robert C. Victor, formerly Staff Astronomer (now retired). Credit to the
author and to
Abrams Planetarium,
Department of Physics and Astronomy
at
Michigan State University, and mention
of
our
Sky
Calendar, would be
appreciated.
A sample issue of the Sky Calendar is available over the
Internet. It
can be viewed via the World-Wide Web at
http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/SkyCalendar/Index.html
If you would like a printed sample of the February issue, please send a
long,
self-addressed stamped envelope to:
February Sky Calendar
Abrams Planetarium
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824
Each month, the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Michigan State
University makes the Skywatcher's Diary available over the Internet. It
can
be accessed at
http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/SkyWatchersDiary/Diary.html
Current and back-issues of the Skywatcher's Diary are available in our
archives
at
http://www.pa.msu.edu/abrams/SkyWatchersDiary/Archives.html
ftp://www.pa.msu.edu/pub/swd/
Naked-eye planets, Moon, and Stars in February
As evening sky darkens, find Mars high in S and Saturn in E. In
the latter half of February, Mercury has its best evening appearance of
the year, low in WSW to W in twilight. Get outdoors as morning twilight
begins to brighten, and you'll be rewarded by views of the two brightest
planets, Venus in ESE at its best for the year, and Jupiter in S. It's
easy to spot Venus in the daytime, by just tracking it until sunrise.
Binoculars then reveal that planet now appears as a crescent,
backlighted by the Sun.
The Moon was New on January 29, reaches First Quarter phase on the night
of Feb. 4, Full on Feb. 12, Last Quarter on the morning of Feb. 21, and
New on Feb. 27. The Moon appears near naked-eye planets on the following
dates: Mars on the evening of Feb. 5, Saturn on nights of Feb. 10 and
11, Jupiter on mornings of Feb. 19 and 20, Venus at dawn on Feb. 24 and
25, and Mercury at dusk on Feb. 28.
Soon after nightfall throughout February, face south and let Orion, the
Hunter introduce you to several bright stars. His striking three-star
belt extended southeast locates twinkling Sirius, the brightest
nighttime star. Follow the belt in the opposite direction to Aldebaran,
eye of Taurus, and beyond to Mars and the beautiful Pleiades star
cluster. Starting at Rigel, Orion's bright foot, go clockwise around the
huge "Winter Ellipse," through the "Dog Stars" Sirius and Procyon, the
Twins Pollux and Castor, the "Mother Goat Star" Capella, and last
Aldebaran then back to Rigel. Betelgeuse, shoulder of Orion, twinkles
inside the giant oval, while two bright planets, Mars and Saturn, gleam
with a steady light not far outside it.
Following is a day-by-day guide to celestial happenings during February
2006. For drawings of many of these events, and an evening sky map,
request a free sample copy of the Abrams Planetarium Sky Calendar by
sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Sample Sky Calendar,
Abrams Planetarium, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48823.
Or you can subscribe for $11 per year. We appreciate your subscriptions!
Skywatcher's Diary: February 2006
Early February
Three hours after sunset, aim binoculars at Saturn in the east, and in
the same field you'll notice a scattering of faint stars in the
background -- the Beehive cluster, 600 light years away.
First Quarter Moon, half full, is high in SW at nightfall. Note Mars
to its upper left, and the Pleiades cluster to upper left of Mars.
Moon has moved to upper left of Mars and is nearing the Pleiades
star cluster. As evening progresses, use binoculars to watch Moon creep
ever closer to the Pleiades. After midnight from the West Coast, the
Moon's leading dark side covers some of the cluster's brighter stars.
For details, go to the web site of the International Occultation Timing
Association: http://www.lunar-occultations.com/iota
Soon after nightfall, Moon will pass high in the south, with
Aldebaran, eye of the Bull, just 10 degrees below.
At dusk, use binoculars to see the 2nd-magnitude star Elnath, tip of
Taurus' northern horn, near the Moon. Watch Moon slowly pass and pull
away from this star for next several hours. Closest approach of Moon to
star occurs around sunset or in bright twilight from West Coast, in late
evening from East Coast.
This month's northernmost Moon comes closest to overhead three or
four hours after sunset. If there are no bright streetlights close by,
observe how short your shadow is. The Moon will pass directly overhead
at lat. 28.5 degrees N in Florida and Texas.
Pollux and Castor the Twins appear to lower left of the Moon in
evening twilight. Saturn is 15 degrees below Pollux, the brighter Twin.
After nightfall Mars and the Pleiades cluster fit within a 5-degree
field now through Feb. 24 -- a spectacular sight for binoculars!
Moon between Pollux and Saturn. Watch Moon approach Saturn until
dawn on Saturday.
As sky darkens, look for Saturn not far to upper right of Moon, and
Regulus, heart of Leo, rising far below.
Tonight's Full Moon rises in ENE just before sunset. As sky darkens,
look for Regulus not far below.
At 8 p.m. EST, Moon reaches its greatest distance from Earth,
252,500 miles. Catch the Moon rising N of east early in evening
twilight. Despite its greater distance tonight, does the Moon still seem
large when it first becomes visible?
In morning twilight this week, catch the two brightest planets 60
degrees apart: Venus at its greatest brilliancy of this year in ESE to
SE, and Jupiter in S. Telescopes and binoculars show Venus is now a
crescent, about one-fourth full.
For rest of month, from a very dark place at end of evening
twilight, look for the Zodiacal Light, a huge softly luminous cone of
light tapering upward from the western horizon. It is the light of the
Sun reflected off dust particles in the inner solar system. Its axis
closely coincides with the ecliptic (plane of the Earth's orbit), which
extends from the western horizon upward to the left of Aries' brightest
stars, toward Mars. The dust particles originated from comets and from
collisions of asteroids. Evenings at this time of year, the zodiac is
nearly vertical to the horizon, and dark moonless nights in remote areas
provide the best chances to view this phenomenon.
February 16-18
At nightfall, Mars and the Pleiades star cluster appear closest, about 2
degrees apart. A spectacular sight for binoculars! The star cluster is
about 400 light years away.
February 17-25
Track the waning Moon in the morning sky about one hour before sunrise.
It's near Spica on Feb. 17 and 18, near Jupiter on Feb. 19 and 20, near
Antares on Feb. 21 and 22, far to the lower right of Venus on Feb. 24,
and far below that planet on Feb. 25.
About 45 minutes after sunset look for three planets spanning 135
degrees across the evening sky. They are Mercury low, just S of due
west, Mars very high in SW, and Saturn well up in E. Faster-moving Earth
is now pulling away from Mars, causing the gap between the two planets
to widen by over 930,000 miles per day.
Closest Moon of year, 221,757 miles from Earth, occurs at 3 p.m.
EST, but unfortunately is lost in the glare of the Sun, because New Moon
occurs at 7:31 p.m.
About 40 min. after sunset, a thin young crescent Moon is very low,
S of due west, about 5 degrees lower left of Mercury. Moon's age is
about 23 hours past New from East Coast, 26 hours from West Coast. On
March 1 and 2 the Moon climbs much higher each evening, and the sunlit
crescent embracing earthshine on the Moon's dark side -- "the Old Moon in
the New Moon's arms" -- will be a very striking sight for unaided eye
and binoculars.
Please send any comments, suggestions, or questions to
Thomas G. Ferguson:
fergus52@msu.edu
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