February Skylights by Mark Dawson, Whitby & District Astronomical Society
Jupiter
dominates the evening sky during February, residing in the heart of Gemini.
Look for the dark bands across the disk and nearby Galilean moons, easily seen
in a telescope or good pair of binoculars as specks of light. The moon lies
nearby on the 10th and 11th.
Mars finally makes it into the late evening sky just before midnight; having said that it is best observed in the early morning. The red planet is starting to brighten, although telescopically it remains very small and pretty featureless. (Opposition is not until April.) The red planet lies not too far to the left of the chief star in Virgo, Spica, a white star, so the colour contrast is quite marked. The moon joins them on the 20th.
Saturn is visible in the dawn sky by 3 am onwards. Look for it a couple of hand-spans to the lower left of Spica and Mars. The moon lies nearby on the 22nd.
Mercury may be spotted during the first week of February, low in the evening twilight sky. Thereafter it drops back into solar glare. Look for it 45 minutes after sunset a few degrees above the SSW horizon. A slim crescent moon lies lower right on Jan 31st and Feb 1st.
Jewels of The Winter Sky
The winter night sky surely has to be one of nature’s finest panoramas adorned as it is with imposing constellations and studded with an array of brilliant stars. The southern aspect is particularly rich in mythology and observational interest; plenty here to reward an observer whether they are using binoculars, a telescope or just the naked eye.
Located at the heart of this glittering tableau stands the mighty hunter, Orion, located almost due south during February evenings. The main outline is quite distinct: a sloping line of three stars set in the midst of a larger stellar rectangle. Two of these stars, in opposing corners, are real super luminaries. Searing blue/white Rigel illuminates the bottom right, a star perhaps 60–70,000 times more luminous than our Sun. Opposite Rigel, in the ‘red corner’ (top left) lies Betelgeuse, a red super-giant star with ‘one foot in the stellar grave’. The deep orange hue of this star is a clear indication of its age and cooler temperature. Betelgeuse has ballooned to gargantuan proportions, over 400 million miles in diameter. Put another way, if Betelgeuse were at the heart of our solar system it would extend out beyond the orbit of Mars! Of all the naked-eye stars visible in the night sky, Betelgeuse is possibly the strongest candidate to end its days as a supernova, tearing itself apart in a cataclysmic explosion that will light up the sky for weeks on end. Will it be in our lifetimes – who knows? We do know, however, that in a few tens of millions of years, Rigel will follow suit.
Situated a little way below the three stars marking Orion’s belt is one of the heaven’s great showpiece objects. Seen clearly as a misty smudge through binoculars, the Orion nebula is the nearest region of stellar birth, recently estimated to be a little over 1,250 light years away. The Nebula consists of a huge cloud of gas and dust in which new stars are ‘born’. Telescopically, the nebula is quite breathtaking, a swirl of nebulous cloud at the heart of which reside the Trapezium stars, the four ‘bully boys’ of this stellar crèche, little more than 10 million years old.
Bearing down on Orion to his upper right is Taurus the Bull, whose eye is marked by fiery hued Aldebaran in the V-shaped Hyades star cluster, although it is not a true member. A little further west, the Pleiades star cluster (Seven Sisters) is an exquisite sight through binoculars or a very low-power eyepiece of a telescope. Riding high to the south and above Taurus are the stars of the charioteer – Auriga – highlighted by bright Capella located almost overhead. Upper left of Orion stand the Twins of Gemini, marked by the two conspicuous stars, Castor and Pollux. Castor, the most northerly of the pair, is slightly fainter than twin brother Pollux, which shines with a pale amber lustre. Although Castor appears solitary, in reality it is a multiple system of which the brightest two components may be separated in a modest scope, given stable atmospheric conditions.
Two hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, accompany Orion, dutifully following their master across the heavens. Canis Major is overwhelmed by the sparkling presence of Sirius, the brightest star in the entire night sky. The lesser dog, Canis Minor is also distinguished by a conspicuous star – Procyon – located left of Orion and below Gemini. The prominence of both stars is down to proximity: 8.6 and 11 light years respectively. The dog’s quarry, the timid celestial hare of Lepus, may be traced crouching below Orion and above the southern horizon. Forever separating master and greater dog from the lesser one, look for the faint glow of the winter Milky Way which passes down to the left of Orion.
No matter whether you are an experienced observer, or perhaps have just acquired a pair of binoculars or a telescope, the jewels of Orion and his retinue are a joy to explore time and time again. Wrap up well, find somewhere dark and enjoy!
For more information, please contact Mark Dawson on 01947 605516 or email: spanton33@talktalk.net.
Website: www.whitby-astronomers.com
Mars finally makes it into the late evening sky just before midnight; having said that it is best observed in the early morning. The red planet is starting to brighten, although telescopically it remains very small and pretty featureless. (Opposition is not until April.) The red planet lies not too far to the left of the chief star in Virgo, Spica, a white star, so the colour contrast is quite marked. The moon joins them on the 20th.
Saturn is visible in the dawn sky by 3 am onwards. Look for it a couple of hand-spans to the lower left of Spica and Mars. The moon lies nearby on the 22nd.
Mercury may be spotted during the first week of February, low in the evening twilight sky. Thereafter it drops back into solar glare. Look for it 45 minutes after sunset a few degrees above the SSW horizon. A slim crescent moon lies lower right on Jan 31st and Feb 1st.
Jewels of The Winter Sky
The winter night sky surely has to be one of nature’s finest panoramas adorned as it is with imposing constellations and studded with an array of brilliant stars. The southern aspect is particularly rich in mythology and observational interest; plenty here to reward an observer whether they are using binoculars, a telescope or just the naked eye.
Located at the heart of this glittering tableau stands the mighty hunter, Orion, located almost due south during February evenings. The main outline is quite distinct: a sloping line of three stars set in the midst of a larger stellar rectangle. Two of these stars, in opposing corners, are real super luminaries. Searing blue/white Rigel illuminates the bottom right, a star perhaps 60–70,000 times more luminous than our Sun. Opposite Rigel, in the ‘red corner’ (top left) lies Betelgeuse, a red super-giant star with ‘one foot in the stellar grave’. The deep orange hue of this star is a clear indication of its age and cooler temperature. Betelgeuse has ballooned to gargantuan proportions, over 400 million miles in diameter. Put another way, if Betelgeuse were at the heart of our solar system it would extend out beyond the orbit of Mars! Of all the naked-eye stars visible in the night sky, Betelgeuse is possibly the strongest candidate to end its days as a supernova, tearing itself apart in a cataclysmic explosion that will light up the sky for weeks on end. Will it be in our lifetimes – who knows? We do know, however, that in a few tens of millions of years, Rigel will follow suit.
Situated a little way below the three stars marking Orion’s belt is one of the heaven’s great showpiece objects. Seen clearly as a misty smudge through binoculars, the Orion nebula is the nearest region of stellar birth, recently estimated to be a little over 1,250 light years away. The Nebula consists of a huge cloud of gas and dust in which new stars are ‘born’. Telescopically, the nebula is quite breathtaking, a swirl of nebulous cloud at the heart of which reside the Trapezium stars, the four ‘bully boys’ of this stellar crèche, little more than 10 million years old.
Bearing down on Orion to his upper right is Taurus the Bull, whose eye is marked by fiery hued Aldebaran in the V-shaped Hyades star cluster, although it is not a true member. A little further west, the Pleiades star cluster (Seven Sisters) is an exquisite sight through binoculars or a very low-power eyepiece of a telescope. Riding high to the south and above Taurus are the stars of the charioteer – Auriga – highlighted by bright Capella located almost overhead. Upper left of Orion stand the Twins of Gemini, marked by the two conspicuous stars, Castor and Pollux. Castor, the most northerly of the pair, is slightly fainter than twin brother Pollux, which shines with a pale amber lustre. Although Castor appears solitary, in reality it is a multiple system of which the brightest two components may be separated in a modest scope, given stable atmospheric conditions.
Two hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor, accompany Orion, dutifully following their master across the heavens. Canis Major is overwhelmed by the sparkling presence of Sirius, the brightest star in the entire night sky. The lesser dog, Canis Minor is also distinguished by a conspicuous star – Procyon – located left of Orion and below Gemini. The prominence of both stars is down to proximity: 8.6 and 11 light years respectively. The dog’s quarry, the timid celestial hare of Lepus, may be traced crouching below Orion and above the southern horizon. Forever separating master and greater dog from the lesser one, look for the faint glow of the winter Milky Way which passes down to the left of Orion.
No matter whether you are an experienced observer, or perhaps have just acquired a pair of binoculars or a telescope, the jewels of Orion and his retinue are a joy to explore time and time again. Wrap up well, find somewhere dark and enjoy!
For more information, please contact Mark Dawson on 01947 605516 or email: spanton33@talktalk.net.
Website: www.whitby-astronomers.com
Archive
Jan 2014 Planetary Skylights
Dec 2013 Planetary Skylights
Nov 2013 Planetary Skylights
Oct 2013 Skylights and Signposts in the Sky
Sep 2013 Skylights
Dec 2013 Planetary Skylights
Nov 2013 Planetary Skylights
Oct 2013 Skylights and Signposts in the Sky
Sep 2013 Skylights
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