February Skylights
A few days following Mercury’s departure, Mars is the sole naked-eye planet visible in the evening sky in February. Jupiter and Saturn emerge into the dawn sky by late February, joining Mercury, so that once again this trio of planets reside together.
Mars spends February inching up through the constellation of Aries toward the two famous star clusters in Taurus: the Pleiades and the Hyades. (Mars actually passes below the Pleiades in early March.) At the start of February Mars rides high in the SSW as twilight falls, approximately 50 degrees up. The red planet shines around mag +0.46, which diminishes to +0.9 by the end of the month, still reasonably bright to the naked eye, but not a spectacle through the eyepiece of a telescope anymore. It will resemble a small, orange, rather featureless and slightly gibbous ball, less than just 8 arc seconds in diameter, almost 3 times smaller than when at opposition last October. On the 18th and 19th a waxing crescent moon passes Mars, adding to the already scenic view. By the 24th Mars moves into Taurus, and by the end of the month is on view for a period of four hours only, before setting around 10.45 pm.
After a decent apparition during January, Mercury may be glimpsed just above the WSW horizon for the first few days of February, as long as you have a flat horizon view in this direction. You will need to observe five minutes either side of 4.30pm to stand the best chance of spotting the innermost planet, which will be shining at mag +1.4. By the 4th Mercury will be lost, but the elusive messenger of the God’s wastes little time, ‘hot footing’ it from the evening sky to the dawn sky, where it returns shortly after mid-month, being visible very low in the ESE. Again, you will require a flat horizon to spot Mercury from the 18th onwards. Mercury will grow in brightness over the duration of the apparition, and by the end of February will shine at mag + 0.23, visible to the naked eye if observed at the right time: from 6.30 to 6.45am.
Mercury will then be joined by Saturn and finally Jupiter, which will appear by far the brightest of the three, but very low, hugging the ESE horizon. None of the trio is really viable for observation through a telescope, but will be rewarding to pick out of the dawn twilight in binoculars. Wait until the last few days of February, viewing around 6.30am. Scan above the ESE horizon no more than a binocular field (5 degrees). Jupiter will reside lower left of Mercury, with Saturn off to the right of Mercury at a similar altitude, but somewhat fainter. Good spotting!
The Celestial Ocean – ‘A load of Bull’
One of the most important and distinctive constellations visible in the heavens is that of Taurus. During late February, as darkness falls you will find the celestial bull high in the SSW, to the upper right of majestic Orion. Taurus is one of the very earliest constellations to be named, around 4,000 bc, at which point in time it marked the vernal equinox, when its meeting with the Sun heralded the beginning of the agricultural year. Taurus seems to have always been associated with some form of bull, especially the bull-orientated civilisations found around the Mediterranean. In myths Taurus was identified with the snow white bull, which carried off Europa and was later revealed as Zeus in disguise. In other legends Taurus was the famed Cretan Bull who was conquered by Hercules. Yet another later tale depicts Taurus as the Minotaur, the terrifying Bull-monster kept in the Labyrinth and slain by Theseus.
The pattern of Taurus incorporates the ‘V’ or arrow-head shaped star cluster known as the Hyades, which marks the head. The most conspicuous star in the Hyades is the fiery hue of Aldebaran, the ‘eye of the bull’, however its membership is purely accidental, lying halfway between us and the true Hyades cluster. Aldebaran is classed as an orange giant star around 50 times larger than our Sun. In mythology the Hyades were the daughters of Atlas and were in ancient lore associated with wet and stormy weather. It is one of the nearest galactic clusters, lying around 120 light years away and as such appearing quite spread out, hence it is best appreciated through binoculars when several dozen members are visible. The true number exceeds 200.
As famed as the Hyades are, Taurus is home to the most celebrated of all star clusters: the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, regarded with reverence since remote antiquity. In Greek myth they were the half sisters of the Hyades, and were saved by Zeus from the unwanted ‘attention’ of mighty Orion by being transformed into a group of doves. The Pleiades were also associated with darker and somewhat sinister festivities and rituals, such as Halloween and the Witch’s Sabbath, or Black Sabbat. In ancient Aztec and Mayan tradition the culmination of the Pleiades due south was of great significance, particularly at intervals of 52 years when it was believed the world would end unless appropriate sacrifices were offered. This usually meant the ritual slaughter of several hundred virgins, which seemed to do the trick (how surprising!) Many ancient sacred pyramids scattered around Mexico and parts of Central America were orientated to the setting of the Pleiades, as well as west-running streets.
To the naked eye the Pleiades appear as a tight knot of five, six or eight stars (but curiously never seven). The record is reputed to be 19! The real number of stars contained within this relatively young cluster is in excess of 500, moving through space approximately 400 light years away. The most dazzling views of the Pleiades are to be obtained through binoculars or rich field scopes at low power. In a true dark sky the Pleiades glitter like an array of icy blue diamonds, or as Tennyson once wrote ‘a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid’.
Taurus has one more object of great interest to astronomers – especially professional ones. This is the Crab Nebula, the remnant of a star that in 1054 became so bright it was clearly visible in daylight. Astronomers now know this was a supernova explosion, the cataclysmic finale of a massive star. The nebula can be found just above zeta tauri, the star which marks the tip of the southern horn and in small/modest scopes resembles a faint splash of light. If you get a chance then, why not check out the wonders of the celestial bull one clear night this month.
Mark Dawson,
Whitby and District Astronomical Society
WDAS usually meets in room H1, Caedmon College, Normanby campus (Whitby College). New members most welcome.
www.whitby-astronomers.com
email: spanton33@talktalk.net
.
Mars spends February inching up through the constellation of Aries toward the two famous star clusters in Taurus: the Pleiades and the Hyades. (Mars actually passes below the Pleiades in early March.) At the start of February Mars rides high in the SSW as twilight falls, approximately 50 degrees up. The red planet shines around mag +0.46, which diminishes to +0.9 by the end of the month, still reasonably bright to the naked eye, but not a spectacle through the eyepiece of a telescope anymore. It will resemble a small, orange, rather featureless and slightly gibbous ball, less than just 8 arc seconds in diameter, almost 3 times smaller than when at opposition last October. On the 18th and 19th a waxing crescent moon passes Mars, adding to the already scenic view. By the 24th Mars moves into Taurus, and by the end of the month is on view for a period of four hours only, before setting around 10.45 pm.
After a decent apparition during January, Mercury may be glimpsed just above the WSW horizon for the first few days of February, as long as you have a flat horizon view in this direction. You will need to observe five minutes either side of 4.30pm to stand the best chance of spotting the innermost planet, which will be shining at mag +1.4. By the 4th Mercury will be lost, but the elusive messenger of the God’s wastes little time, ‘hot footing’ it from the evening sky to the dawn sky, where it returns shortly after mid-month, being visible very low in the ESE. Again, you will require a flat horizon to spot Mercury from the 18th onwards. Mercury will grow in brightness over the duration of the apparition, and by the end of February will shine at mag + 0.23, visible to the naked eye if observed at the right time: from 6.30 to 6.45am.
Mercury will then be joined by Saturn and finally Jupiter, which will appear by far the brightest of the three, but very low, hugging the ESE horizon. None of the trio is really viable for observation through a telescope, but will be rewarding to pick out of the dawn twilight in binoculars. Wait until the last few days of February, viewing around 6.30am. Scan above the ESE horizon no more than a binocular field (5 degrees). Jupiter will reside lower left of Mercury, with Saturn off to the right of Mercury at a similar altitude, but somewhat fainter. Good spotting!
The Celestial Ocean – ‘A load of Bull’
One of the most important and distinctive constellations visible in the heavens is that of Taurus. During late February, as darkness falls you will find the celestial bull high in the SSW, to the upper right of majestic Orion. Taurus is one of the very earliest constellations to be named, around 4,000 bc, at which point in time it marked the vernal equinox, when its meeting with the Sun heralded the beginning of the agricultural year. Taurus seems to have always been associated with some form of bull, especially the bull-orientated civilisations found around the Mediterranean. In myths Taurus was identified with the snow white bull, which carried off Europa and was later revealed as Zeus in disguise. In other legends Taurus was the famed Cretan Bull who was conquered by Hercules. Yet another later tale depicts Taurus as the Minotaur, the terrifying Bull-monster kept in the Labyrinth and slain by Theseus.
The pattern of Taurus incorporates the ‘V’ or arrow-head shaped star cluster known as the Hyades, which marks the head. The most conspicuous star in the Hyades is the fiery hue of Aldebaran, the ‘eye of the bull’, however its membership is purely accidental, lying halfway between us and the true Hyades cluster. Aldebaran is classed as an orange giant star around 50 times larger than our Sun. In mythology the Hyades were the daughters of Atlas and were in ancient lore associated with wet and stormy weather. It is one of the nearest galactic clusters, lying around 120 light years away and as such appearing quite spread out, hence it is best appreciated through binoculars when several dozen members are visible. The true number exceeds 200.
As famed as the Hyades are, Taurus is home to the most celebrated of all star clusters: the Pleiades, or Seven Sisters, regarded with reverence since remote antiquity. In Greek myth they were the half sisters of the Hyades, and were saved by Zeus from the unwanted ‘attention’ of mighty Orion by being transformed into a group of doves. The Pleiades were also associated with darker and somewhat sinister festivities and rituals, such as Halloween and the Witch’s Sabbath, or Black Sabbat. In ancient Aztec and Mayan tradition the culmination of the Pleiades due south was of great significance, particularly at intervals of 52 years when it was believed the world would end unless appropriate sacrifices were offered. This usually meant the ritual slaughter of several hundred virgins, which seemed to do the trick (how surprising!) Many ancient sacred pyramids scattered around Mexico and parts of Central America were orientated to the setting of the Pleiades, as well as west-running streets.
To the naked eye the Pleiades appear as a tight knot of five, six or eight stars (but curiously never seven). The record is reputed to be 19! The real number of stars contained within this relatively young cluster is in excess of 500, moving through space approximately 400 light years away. The most dazzling views of the Pleiades are to be obtained through binoculars or rich field scopes at low power. In a true dark sky the Pleiades glitter like an array of icy blue diamonds, or as Tennyson once wrote ‘a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid’.
Taurus has one more object of great interest to astronomers – especially professional ones. This is the Crab Nebula, the remnant of a star that in 1054 became so bright it was clearly visible in daylight. Astronomers now know this was a supernova explosion, the cataclysmic finale of a massive star. The nebula can be found just above zeta tauri, the star which marks the tip of the southern horn and in small/modest scopes resembles a faint splash of light. If you get a chance then, why not check out the wonders of the celestial bull one clear night this month.
Mark Dawson,
Whitby and District Astronomical Society
WDAS usually meets in room H1, Caedmon College, Normanby campus (Whitby College). New members most welcome.
www.whitby-astronomers.com
email: spanton33@talktalk.net
.
