Astronomical Online
Glossary
Download this month's sky map!
Northern hemisphere sky
map
Southern hemisphere sky
map
Creator: Kym Thalassoudis
Southern Hemisphere Additional Information
James
Barclay's site
Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand's Southern
Hemisphere Calendar RASNZ
site
Southern
Sky Watch.
Planets for February 2008
Venus (top left) and Jupiter Jan 31st
2008
If this looks backwards to you check the photo credit for the location!
(Made ya think eh!)
Photo credit: Juan-Camilo Suarez
La Estrella, Colombia, South
America
Canon EOS 10D, 135 mm, 800 ISO
- Mercury- is at inferior conjunction on the 6th. It becomes visible to
southern observers in the morning twilight by mid-month. Late February to March
will be the best viewing of Mercury for the year for Southern observers. Mercury
climb up to meet Venus and on the 26th Mercury will be 1.3 deg N of Venus 1.9
mag (1st) to 0.6 mag (21st)
- Venus- Hopefully you have been watching Venus and Jupiter creep
closer throughout the end of January. On the 1st of February Venus is 0.6 deg N
of Jupiter. On the 4th the waning crescent moon shares the scene. Watch the rest
of the month as Venus pulls closer to the sun. On the 26th and 27th catch Venus
and Mercury stacked on the horizon just before sunrise. -3.8 mag (1st) to -3.8
mag (21st)
- Mars- Starts off the month still between the horns of Taurus and is
well placed high in the northern sky in early evening. It is heading back
towards the foot of Castor, and M35, but is official still in Taurus at the end
of the month. -0.6 (1st) to 0.0 mag (21st)
- Jupiter- Starts the month buddied up with Venus and by the 13th leads
a line up of Mercury, Venus and Jupiter with Jupiter furthest away from the sun.
-1.8 mag (1st) to -1.8 mag (21st)
- Saturn- In Leo all year Saturn reaches opposition on February 24. On
the 21st at 3:29 UT (convert to your time zone) during the total lunar eclipse
you should be able to pick out Saturn and Regulus once the Moon enters the Earth
umbra. Rises mid-evening at the beginning of February. The tilt of Saturn's
rings increases from 6.7 deg to 9.9 deg in early May before beginning to close
again at the end of 2008. 0.4 mag (1st) to 0.2 mag (21st)
- Uranus-In Aquarius all year 5.9 mag (1st) to 5.9 mag (21st)
- Neptune-In Capricorn 8.0 mag (1st) to 8.0 mag (21st)
Key Dates for February 2008
Days and Times in UT: (help with
time)
Observations are for 10pm for the mid-southern latitudes and for
8pm for the mid-northern latitudes.
Today's sunrise and sunset times or
plan ahead using the US Naval Observatory
Website
Occultation information can be found at the IOTA website!
Astronomical Highlights
February
|
|
| 1 |
- Venus 0.6 deg N of Jupiter (32 deg W) |
|
- Antares 0.6 deg N of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for
occultation in your area. |
| 2 |
- Groundhog Day, Candlemas, one of the cross-quarter days (Feb 2-5) the
ancient beginning of Spring. |
| 4 |
- Jupiter 4 deg N of Moon |
|
- Venus 4 deg N of Moon, all three create a nice little lineup |
| 6 |
- Mercury at greatest heliocentric lat. N |
|
- Mercury at inferior conjunction |
| 7 |
- New Moon (3:44 UT) |
|
- Annular solar eclipse WARNING: NEVER LOOK AT
THE SUN
The shadow cuts a narrow path across Antarctica and the
southern Pacific. Partial phases visible from New Zealand and southeastern
Australia. Greatest eclipse at 3:55 UT. Follow
the link for map, times , and animation |
| 8 |
- Alpha
Centaurid Meteor Shower. Very favorable year for this periodic
shower |
| 9 |
- Moon 2.5 deg S.S.W. of Neptune (only about 3 deg from the Sun) |
| 11 |
- Neptune in conjunction with the Sun, moving into the morning sky |
|
- The equation of time is at minimum for the year, -14.26 minutes (23h UT)
the Sun is running "slow" |
| 14 |
- Moon at perigee (370219 km) (1 UT) |
|
- First Quarter Moon (3:33 UT) |
|
- Moon 1.2 deg N of the Pleiades (M45) |
|
- Valentine's Day (send dark chocolate!) |
| 16 |
- Mars 1.6 deg S of Moon |
| 18 |
- Mercury Stationary |
|
- Moon 0.3 deg N of Beehive (M44) |
| 21 |
- Regulus 0.7 deg N of Moon (0 UT), possible occultation check the IOTA website for
occultation in your area. |
|
- Full moon, total lunar eclipse (3:30 UT) Follow the link to see
map and times. Regulus will be to the NW of the Moon and Venus to the SE.
The eclipse will be visible from North and South America, western Europe and
Africa.
This will be the last total lunar eclipse until
Dec 2010 |
|
- Saturn 3 deg N of Moon (12 UT) |
| 23 |
- Zodiacal Lights visible in the N latitudes in the West after evening
twilight for the next two weeks |
| 24 |
- Saturn at opposition |
| 26 |
- Mercury 1.3 deg N of Venus (27 deg W) |
| 28 |
- Moon at apogee (404443 km) furthest point away from Earth in its
orbit |
| 29 |
- Antares 0.6 deg N of Moon, possible occultation check the IOTA website for
occultation in your area. |
|
- Last Quarter Moon (2:18 UT) |
|
- Leap Day |
sunrise and sunset times
for your home*Comparative lengths of
day and night
This month highlights 10 messier objects, most are within reach of
binoculars, and over half can be seen with the naked eye.
- M1 - The Crab nebula is
a supernova remnant in Taurus. It is a hazy patch in small telescopes, large
scopes can resolve some detail. It is difficult but possible to see in
binoculars.
- M45 - The Pleiades are
a large open cluster in Taurus. Easy to resolve six stars naked eye. Binoculars
provide the best view. Large telescopes can show some nebulosity.
- M35, M37, M36, M38 A series of open clusters
in the winter milky way. M35 is in Gemini, the others are in Auriga. All can be
seen naked eye as faint fuzzy stars, binoculars reveal fuzzy patches, low power
telescopes can resolve these rich clusters.
- M42 M43 M42 is the
great Orion Nebula. It can be seen as small fuzzy patch naked eye. Binoculars
show some detail, and the view is superb in most any scope. M43 is a small
region of nebulosity next to M42, and probably requires the use of a telescope
to view. Use low to moderate powers for the best view of this pair.
- M78 - A small emission
nebula in Orion, a tough binocular object. Best viewed in a telescope at
moderate powers.
- M79 - One of the
smallest and dimmest globular clusters in the catalog. A tough binocular object
in Lepus, best viewed in a telescope at moderate powers.
From the Astronomical
Connection and the Moncton Center in Canada
Comets for February 2008
Gary Kronk's comet and
meteor pages
Skyhound
Comet pages
Historical and Current Events
...Did you know?
Mark has developed his own website so
let's all trot on over and see the pages of wonderful history he has for us this
month!
Help us out by leaving a donation in the ol' PayPal hat
or write us a
favorable review in iTunes of Podcast Pickle or iPodder!
Music Scottish Guitar
Quartet -"Romance within you"
Rebecca Loebe- "All This
Timet"
Friction
Bailey - "Fill My Mind With You"
Astronomical Highlights for 2008
Earth's major motions for 2008
| Perihelion |
|
Jan 3 00h(UT) |
| First Cross Quarter Day |
|
Feb 2-6 |
| Equinox |
|
Mar 20 05:48(UT) |
| Second Cross Quarter Day |
|
May 4-7 |
| Solstice |
|
June 20 23:59(UT) |
| Aphelion |
|
July 4 08h (UT) |
| Third Cross Quarter Day |
|
Aug 5-8 |
| Equinox |
|
Sept 22 15:44(UT) |
| Fourth Cross Quarter Day |
|
Nov 5-8 |
| Solstice |
|
Dec 21 12:04(UT) |
Planet Positions for 2008
| 2008 |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
| Venus |
Sgr |
Cap |
Aqr |
Psc |
Tau |
Gem |
Cnc |
Vir |
Vir |
Sco |
Sgr |
Cap |
| Mars |
Tau |
Tau |
Gem |
Gem |
Cnc |
Leo |
Leo |
Vir |
Vir |
Vir |
Sco |
Oph |
| Jupiter |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
Sgr |
| Saturn |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Leo |
Interesting Planet Pairing for 2008
- January (first two week) - Mars, Betelgeuse and Aldebaran -
Mars will be moving westward into this red triangle, pausing at the end of the
month and then returning to regular Eastward motion at the beginning of
February.
- February 1 (start watching in early January) - Jupiter and
Venus - Start this early in January with Jupiter just off the horizon and
watch as they creep closer and closer. On the 1st of Feb early in the morning,
about one hour before sunrise in the east, Jupiter and Venus are less than one
degree apart in the constellation Sagittarius. They will be outstanding and you
could imagine all sorts of symbolism that could be associated with this
conjunction.
- February 27 - Mercury and Venus - Rising just one hour before
the Sun in the East in the constellation Capricornus. Venus and Mercury will be
just over one degree apart and then Venus will speed off, with Mercury in hot
pursuit.
- March 24 - Mercury and Venus...again - Mercury catches up to
Venus again, this time less than one degree apart and in the constellation
Aquarius. They will also be rising above the horizon only a half hour before the
sun, so seeing them will be quite a challenge.
- July 10 - Mars and Saturn - In the constellation Leo
yellowish-white Saturn and reddish Mars will be less than one degree from each
other. The pair is still up two hours after sunset and are bright so it should
be easy to see.
- August 13 - Venus and Saturn - Less than one degree apart in
the constellation Leo. Venus will be the brighter of the two.
- August 14 (watch from 10-16th)- Venus, Mercury, and Saturn -
Just after sunset a triple conjunction! The three planets will be less than
three degrees apart in the constellation Leo and almost in a line. Venus will be
the highest and brightest Saturn the middle object and Mercury will be the
lowest of the three but surprisingly brighter than Saturn. If you want to make
this even more interesting look for Mars 16 degrees to the SW the trio.
- August 19-21 - Venus and Mercury - The two planets will be
about one degree apart for three days. VERY low on the western horizon at
sunset.
- September 11 (watch from 5-18)- Venus and Mars - Venus will
come right next to the Red Planet, with the two less than one degree apart
Mercury lying three and a half degrees away from the pair and shining brighter
than Mars. The whole group will set just one hour after sunset.
- December 1 - Venus and Jupiter - All within Sagittarius, the
two planets will be two degrees apart and they don't set until three hours after
sunset. As a bonus, a 15%-lit moon will lie three degrees away from Venus.
- December 31 - Jupiter and Mercury - After sunset a little more
than one degree apart in Sagittarius. Pull out the binos and telescopes because
Mercury will be a mere 15 arcminutes from the globular cluster M75. All three
will be together in one field of view in most home binoculars.
2008 Phases of the Moon
Universal Time NEW MOON FIRST QUARTER FULL MOON LAST QUARTER
d h m d h m d h m d h m
JAN. 8 11 37 JAN. 15 19 46 JAN. 22 13 35 JAN. 30 5 03
FEB. 7 3 44 FEB. 14 3 33 FEB. 21 3 30 FEB. 29 2 18
MAR. 7 17 14 MAR. 14 10 46 MAR. 21 18 40 MAR. 29 21 47
APR. 6 3 55 APR. 12 18 32 APR. 20 10 25 APR. 28 14 12
MAY 5 12 18 MAY 12 3 47 MAY 20 2 11 MAY 28 2 57
JUNE 3 19 23 JUNE 10 15 04 JUNE 18 17 30 JUNE 26 12 10
JULY 3 2 19 JULY 10 4 35 JULY 18 7 59 JULY 25 18 42
AUG. 1 10 13 AUG. 8 20 20 AUG. 16 21 16 AUG. 23 23 50
AUG. 30 19 58 SEPT. 7 14 04 SEPT. 15 9 13 SEPT. 22 5 04
SEPT. 29 8 12 OCT. 7 9 04 OCT. 14 20 02 OCT. 21 11 55
OCT. 28 23 14 NOV. 6 4 03 NOV. 13 6 17 NOV. 19 21 31
NOV. 27 16 55 DEC. 5 21 26 DEC. 12 16 37 DEC. 19 10 29
DEC. 27 12 22
Eclipses for 2008
February 07 - Annular Solar Eclipse ( see
map, times, and animation!): The first
solar eclipse of 2008 occurs at the Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. An
annular eclipse will be visible from a wide track, that traverses Antarctica and
southern regions of the Pacific Ocean. A partial eclipse will be seen within the
much larger path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes the southeastern
third of Australia, all of New Zealand and most of Antarctica.
August 1 - Total Solar Eclipse ( see
map, times, and animation!): On Friday,
2008 August 01, a total eclipse of the Sun is visible from within a narrow
corridor that traverses half the Earth. The path of the Moon's umbral shadow
begins in Canada and extends across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central
Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse is seen within the much broader
path of the Moon's penumbral shadow, which includes northeastern North America,
most of Europe and Asia. Special website with extra information and links to
live eclipse webcasts can be found at the NASA
Eclipse Website for the August 1st Eclipse
February 20th - Total Lunar Eclipse ( see
map, times.): The first lunar eclipse of 2008 is perfectly placed for
observers throughout most of the Americas as well as western Europe. The eclipse
occurs at the Moon's descending node, midway between perigee and apogee. During
the eclipse, Saturn lies about 3° northeast of the Moon and shines brightly (mv
= +0.2) because it is near opposition. Special website with live broadcast can
be found at the NASA
Eclipse Website
August 16 - Partial Lunar Eclipse ( see
map, times): The last eclipse of 2008 is a partial lunar eclipse at the
Moon's ascending node in Capricornus. It is visible primarily from the Eastern
Hemisphere as well as eastern South America
Eclipse information from: NASA Eclipse
Homepage, Eclipses Online (HM
Nautical Almanac Office, UK in coordination with the U.S. Naval
Observatory)
Meteor Showers for 2008
All times are UT
| Quadrantids |
January 4, 7h |
Waning Crescent |
| Lyrids |
April 22, 4h |
almost Full |
| Eta Aquarids |
May 5, 18h |
New Moon |
| Perseids |
August 12, 11h |
Waxing Gibbous |
| Orionids |
October 21, 4h |
Last Quarter |
| Leonids |
November 17, 10h |
Waning Gibbous |
| Geminids |
December 13, 23h |
Full Moon |
Information from the "Observer's Handbook 2008" RASC
