Welcome to SkyEye, your guide to this month's celestial events. All dates are based on Universal Time (UT).
Brief Calendar of Events
| Date | Event |
| 4 |
Mon |
Last Quarter Moon |
| 8 |
Fri |
Alpha Centaurids meteor shower |
| 11 |
Mon |
3 Juno at opposition |
| 12 |
Tue |
New Moon |
| 13 |
Wed |
Uranus at conjunction |
| 14 |
Thu |
Moon at apogee |
| 20 |
Wed |
First Quarter Moon |
| Moon occults Saturn |
| 21 |
Thu |
Mercury at greatest elongation west (27°) |
| 23 |
Sat |
Moon occults Jupiter |
| 27 |
Wed |
Saturn at eastern quadrature |
| Full Moon |
| Moon at perigee |
The Sun and Moon
There are no eclipses this month.
As seen from the Earth, the Sun is moving from the constellation Capricornus to the constellation Aquarius.
Expect very high tides on 27 February when the Full Moon coincides with perigee.
Like last month, both Saturn and Jupiter are occulted by the Moon. The eastern United States and Canada can watch Saturn disappear behind the limb of the First Quarter Moon from about 22 UT on 20 February. Jupiter will fall victim to the waxing gibbous Moon two days later from around 0 UT for observers in northern Canada, Siberia, and northern and western Europe.
The Planets
The word planet is derived from the Greek word for "wanderer." Unlike the background stars, planets seem to move around the sky, keeping mostly to a narrow track called the ecliptic, the path of the Sun across the stars.
- Mercury
- The best viewpoint to see this elusive planet is in the southern hemisphere. Look for Mercury climbing ever higher in the sunrise sky as it moves around the constellations Capricornus and Sagittarius.
- Venus
- The "evening star" is very low in the sunset sky. Look for it in the constellations Capricornus and Aquarius.
- Mars
- The red planet sets before midnight in the constellation Pisces.
- Jupiter
- Jupiter is occulted by the Moon on 23 February. It can be found in the constellation Gemini.
- Saturn
- The Moon occults the ringed planet on
20/21 February. With east quadrature on 27 February, this is a particularly interesting time to observe the shadow interplay between the disk and the rings of the planet. Saturn is lurking near the Hyades open star cluster in the constellation Taurus.
- Uranus
- Because Uranus reaches conjunction by mid-month, it cannot be seen in the constellation Capricornus.
- Neptune
- Like Uranus, Neptune is too near to the Sun to be seen.
- Pluto
- This smallest of the planets is in the constellation Ophiuchus, and rises in the early morning hours.
Minor Planets, Comets and Meteors
- Minor Planets
- 3 Juno reaches opposition in the constellation Hydra. At eighth magnitude, though, you will need optical aids to see it.
- Comets
- There are no naked-eye comets visible this month.
- Meteors
- The waning crescent Moon should cause no problems for southern hemisphere observers watching the Alpha Centaurids meteor shower.
The Celestial Sphere
Constellations are patterns of stars in the sky. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognises 88 different constellations. The brightest stars as seen from the Earth are easy to spot but do you know their proper names? With a set of binoculars you can look for fainter objects such as nebulae and galaxies or some of the closest stars to the Sun.
Descriptions of the sky for observers in both the northern and southern hemispheres are available for the following times this month. Subtract one hour from your local time if daylight savings time is in effect. (Note: These times are approximate.)
Northern Hemisphere : 45° N
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
Southern Hemisphere : 30° S
- 1730 hours (1830 hours daylight savings)
- 1930 hours (2030 hours daylight savings)
- 2130 hours (2230 hours daylight savings)
- 2330 hours (0030 hours daylight savings)
- 0130 hours (0230 hours daylight savings)
- 0330 hours (0430 hours daylight savings)
- 0530 hours (0630 hours daylight savings)
For More Information...
- Consult our online glossary for non-technical explanations of many of the astronomical terms used in these pages.
- Blue moons, eclipses, the dates of Easter and much more can be found at the Interactive Astronomy Pages.
- For more information about the objects and events described in SkyEye, visit these astronomy-related sites.
Credits
Much of this information can be found in this month's issue of your favourite amateur astronomy magazine available in your local bookshop. Another excellent source is the current edition of the Astronomical Calendar by Guy Ottewell and published by the Universal Workshop at Furman University.
The image of the Sun in the SkyEye banner is courtesy of the SOHO/EIT consortium. SOHO is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA. Used with permission.
Copyright © 1995-2002 by David Harper and L.M. Stockman
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Obliquity
Last modified on 31 January 2002
https://www.obliquity.com/skyeye/archive/2002/feb2002.html