The Moon will be at first Quarter on the 2nd, rising at 9.30am and setting at 12.40am. Full moon will be on the 9th, when she’ll rise at 5.10pm and set at 7.30 next morning. Last quarter will be on the 16th, rising at 1.30am and setting at 9.30pm, and New Moon will be on the 25th.
The first half of the month is suitable for Lunaphiles and the last week or so for Deep Sky folk.
On the 9th there will be a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse but it’ll be almost impossible to see as it occurs at 2.30pm!
Planets. At the start of the month Venus still commands the western sky from dusk to about 9pm with Uranus 8° below as they move towards the horizon. She holds her position and great brightness all month, only reducing her phase from 41% at the start to 19% at the end, and increasing her size from 30arcsec to 45arcsec, looking like a small half Moon at the start and a crescent Moon at the end, for which you’ll need good binoculars or a telescope. On the 27th, the Moon, also a thin crescent, will be within 4° of her as they set. Now, that’s worth a photograph.
Saturn rises at 8.30pm on the 1st, and at 6.30pm by the 28th, staying up all night and getting high enough to show good detail in the bands with the rings presenting just a thin though easily seen sliver, like a ball with a line drawn through it.
Mercury can be seen low in the east during dawn twilight, an hour before the Sun rises on the 1st, to about the 20th, when it’ll be half an hour before sunrise. Its orbit begins to take it behind the Sun from then so shouldn’t be pursued.
Almost all month Mars and Jupiter will be just behind Mercury, but rising later so will be difficult to see because of the bright dawn twilight. On the 24th of February, if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to see Jupiter, Mars, tiny Mercury and the Moon, only 1 day short of New, within 4° of each other, all just 20minutes before the Sun clears the horizon, so be careful with binoculars or telescope. Fortunately it’s 20° away. They’ll all be very low so you’ll need a low and clear horizon.
Comets. There is a, hopefully bright, comet to look for this month, Comet C/2007 N3 Lulin, will rise on the 1st, at 3am, but it’s close to Earth so will move quickly and will rise by 1am on the 8th, when it’s predicted to be Mag 7, as bright as Uranus. Then by the 15th, it’ll rise at 11.30pm, and be twice as bright. A week later it’ll rise before 8pm. So watch, and hope, as it makes it’s pass under Leo. It’ll be 2.5° from Saturn on the 23rd. That’s worth a picture if you can get one. At this point in it’s passage it’s running at more than 4° a night. A star chart is available if you email me at the website http://www.donastro.org.uk
Meteors? No showers of note this month.
What else? Make the most of Orion as it’ll soon be gone till autumn. The Spring constellations are coming up, and the galaxy season is upon us. Leo, Coma Berenices, and Virgo in particular. The end of this month and next month are the best time to conduct an American inspired Messier Marathon, when visual observers with good telescopes, try to see as many of the Messier items as they can in one night. It’ll take all night.
Man made Satellites.
The International Space Station doesn’t pass close enough to Doncaster to be worth looking for.
Iridium Flares can be seen as follows
1st at 17:45:56 36° high in the south. Bright
2nd at 19:20:56 35° high in the NNE. Bright
3rd at 19:14:44 36° high in the NNE. Very bright
8th at 17:21:54 32° high in the SSW. Very bright
10th at 18:40:39 50° high in the NNE. Very Bright
Check www.heavens-above.com for more passes and more details.