February 2010 Observing Guide

Hello all,

Feb's guide is below. To anyone heading down to Galway Astrofest - enjoy, can't make it down myself this year, good luck for the event.

OBSERVING GUIDE
(Please note all times are UT and are based on an observing location of Belfast and covers the month of February)

The Sun

At the start of the month, the Sun rises at 08:15 and sets at 17:00. By the end of the month, it rises at 07:15 and sets at 18:00.

The Planets

Venus and Jupiter are at conjunction mid-month. It is a tricky spot very low in the West just after sunset. PLEASE ENSURE THAT THE SUN HAS SET BEFORE TRYING THIS OBSERVATION. Jupiter is moving back towards the sun, whereas Venus is climbing away from it. On the 14th, the pair are less than three degrees apart. By the next day the gap is less than two degrees and by the 16th, it is less than a degree. Sunset during this period is around 17:30 with around a forty-five minute window to try and observe the pair before they also set.

Mercury is visible for approximately the first week of the month as a morning object, after that it is too close to the sun to safely observe. At the start of the month, it rises at 07:10, around an hour before the sun with a mag of -0.2. It is at superior conjunction in March so it won’t be visible for a while.

Venus is slowly moving away from the sun and is an evening object. However by month’s end, it sets at 19:00, only an hour after the sun. You might be able to spot it around mid-month when it is conjunction with Jupiter (details above). Over the coming months, it will become much more prominent in the evening sky.

Mars is still well placed for observation as an evening object. During the whole month, it rises during daylight hours and by month’s end, sets at 06:50. It does however fade during the month from mag -1.3 to mag -0.6. During the first few days of the month, it sits to the North of M44 – The Beehive Cluster in Cancer and then moves towards Gemini during the month.

Jupiter is lost to view by around the third week of the month and is at conjunction on the 28th. It might be spotted one last time in this observing period with the conjunction with Venus around mid-month. It sets two hours after the sun at 19:00 at the start of the month with a mag of -2.0.

Saturn is an evening object during February in Virgo and at the start of the month, rises at 21:50. By month’s end, it rises at 19:55 and brightens from mag +0.7 to mag +0.6 during the month. It lies near to Zaniah (Eta Virginis, mag +3.9) during the month.

Uranus can be found in Pisces during February. It will very soon be joining Neptune in not being visible as by month’s end, it sets at 19:25, less than two hours after the sun. It sets at 21:05 at the start of the month with a mag of +5.9. It lies to the South of Lambda Piscium (mag +4.5) – one of the stars of the Circlet Asterism. It is at conjunction in March.

Neptune is at conjunction on the 14th and is not visible this month.

The Moon

In February, the last quarter moon is on the 5th with the new moon on the 14th. The first quarter moon is on the 22nd with the full moon on the 28th.

On the evening of the 2nd, a 81% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies eight degrees to the South of Saturn at around 23:00.


On the morning of the 3rd, a 78% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies four degrees to the North of M104 –The Sombrero Galaxy at around 06:00.

On the morning of the 4th, a 70% illuminated waning gibbous moon lies four degrees to the South of Spica (Alpha Virginis, mag +1.0) at around 03:00.

On the morning of the 7th, a 38% illuminated waning crescent moon lies to the West of Antares (Alpha Scorpii, mag +0.9), M4 and M80. At around 05:00, the gap between these three objects and the moon is less than eight degrees with M80 the closest to the moon.

On the early evening of the 14th, a 15 hour old moon lies five degrees away from Venus and Jupiter, very low on the western horizon. Sunset is at around 17:30 with moonset at around 18:15, so be SURE TO MAKE THE SUN HAS SET BEFORE YOU TRY THIS OBSERVATION.

On the evening of the 16th, a 7% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies six degrees to the North of Uranus at around 20:00.

On the evening of the 19th, a 28% illuminated waxing crescent moon lies six degrees to the East of M74 at around 20:00.

On the evening of the 21st, a 48% illuminated waxing crescent moon occults some of the outlying stars of M45 –The Pleiades. You should start observing from about 18:45 through to about 20:30.

On the morning of the 23rd, a 62% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies one degree to the North of NGC 1746 at around 02:00.

On the morning of the 24th, a 73% illuminated waxing gibbous moon partially occults M35. The disappearance phase begins around 03:20 and the occulted area of the open cluster starts to reappear around 04:15. At this stage the moon is low in the North-West and sets at around 04:40 whilst still occulting part of the cluster.

On the morning of the 25th, a 83% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies four degrees to the North of NGC 2392 – The Eskimo Nebula at around 05:00.

On the evening of the 25th/morning of the 26th, a 89% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies six degrees to the South of Mars. They are joined at around 04:00 by M44 – The Beehive Cluster which lies eight degrees to the South of the moon.

On the evening of the 26th, a 95% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies four degrees to the North of M67 at around 21:00.

On the evening of the 27th, a 99% illuminated waxing gibbous moon lies five degrees to the South of Regulus (Alpha Leonis, mag +1.4) at around 21:00.

Asteroids

Asteroid 4 Vesta is at opposition on the 18th. It will be mag +6.1 lying half a degree from Algeiba (Gamma Leonis, mag +2.6). Finder charts are available from the RASNZ link in the information section.

Comets

Comet C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring) is an evening comet during February. At the start of the month, it lies near to Seginus (Gamma Bootis, mag +3.0). It moves in a North-Easterly direction out of Bootes during the month towards Draco. It is visible from 22:00 at the start of the month and by month’s end it is visible from 19:00. It is around mag +9 and is predicted to remain at similar magnitudes until spring.

Comet 81P/Wild 2 moves in a Easterly direction in February and can be observed in Virgo. It is a morning comet, visible from 01:00 at the start of the month and by month’s end it is still only visible from midnight, due to its Easterly motion. It is currently around mag +10, predicted to peak at around mag +9 in early spring. At the start of the month, it lies near to Theta Virginis (mag +4.4) and from mid-month onwards, it lies near to Iota Virginis (mag +4.1) to the East of Zeta Virginis (mag +3.4).

Deep Sky

On the deep sky front this month, galaxies M81 and M82 can be observed in Ursa Major. In Andromeda, M31 – The Andromeda galaxy can be observed along with its satellite galaxies M32 and M110. In Perseus, there is the open cluster M34 and the excellent Double Cluster – NGC 869 and 884. In Triangulum, there is the galaxy M33. In Auriga there are three open clusters M36, M37 and M38 and also M35 in Gemini. Taurus has the excellent Pleiades – M45, the Hyades and also M1 – The Crab Nebula. Orion returns to our skies with M42 – The Great Orion Nebula and also Cancer with M44 – The Beehive Cluster and M67. Check out the constellation Canes Venatici with the globular cluster - M3 and several galaxies including M51 - the Whirlpool Galaxy and M63 - the Sunflower Galaxy. In Leo, we have several galaxies on view including The Leo Triplet - M65, M66 and NGC 3628. M95, M96 and M105 can also be observed in Leo. The place to really find galaxies is in Virgo. The Virgo Super Cluster can be found here with numerous galaxies on view. In Coma Berenices, there is M64 - the Black-Eye Galaxy.

General Notes

Always keep an eye out for Aurorae. Other interesting naked eye phenomena to look out for include the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein. Both are caused by sunlight reflecting off dust particles which are present in the solar system. The Zodiacal Light can be seen in the West after evening twilight has disappeared or in the East before the morning twilight. The best time of year to see the phenomenon is late-Feb to early-April in the evening sky and September/October in the morning sky - it's then that the ecliptic, along which the cone of the zodiacal light lies, is steepest in our skies. The Gegenschein can be seen in the area of the sky opposite the sun. To view either, you must get yourself to a very dark site to cut out the light pollution. When trying to observe either of these phenomena, it is best to do so when the moon is below the horizon.

Clear Skies

Neill McKeown

Information Sources Used and Links

www.skyviewcafe.com - Used for the Sun and Planets section. Also partly used for the Moon Section

Sky at Night Magazine Observing Guide and CD

www.aerith.net and cometchasing.skyhound.com – Used for the Comet Section for information and finder charts

www.ast.cam.ac.uk/%7Ejds/ - BAA and SPA Comet page

kometen.fg-vds.de/fgk_hpe.htm - German Comet page

www.rasnz.org.nz – Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand website – good for asteroids

BAA Handbook

Stardust Magazine

Sky Guide 2009 – South Dublin Astronomical Society

www.heavens-above.com – For the latest ISS passes, Iridium Flares and Shuttle launches

www.irishastronomy.org – Irish Federation of Astronomy Societies Website

www.stronge.org.uk – Excellent weather site including Space Weather

irishastro.org.uk – Irish Astronomical Association website

www.eaas.co.uk – Northern Ireland Amateur Astronomy Society

*Stickied*

Thanks Neill, in plenty of time too!

Seanie.

Thanks Neill,

Michael.

Decided to keep all this months batch of NEO’s around mag 17 or below.

2009 UN3

Apollo asteroid. Estimated diameter 770 m - 1.7 km
Closest approach 14.3 lunar distances on the 8th moving with relative velocity of 22.66 km/sec

Reaches mag 12.3 on the 10th when its 25 degrees above horizon at midnight. Better placed later in month. Mag 17 by end of month.

Object is an Arecibo radar target during 2010/02/01-2010/02/31: Astrometry and physical studies requested


2006 EE1

Apollo asteroid. Estimated diameter 290 m - 660 m
Closest approach 49.6 lunar distances on the 18th moving with relative velocity of 19.11 km/sec


Reaches mag 17.1 between the 20th - 22nd .


2009 UD2

Apollo asteroid. Estimated diameter 94 m - 210 m
Closest approach 14.9 lunar distances on the 19th moving with relative velocity of 6.45 km/sec


Reaches mag 17.1 from 24th to end of month


2009 FY4

Apollo asteroid. Estimated diameter 180 m - 390 m
Closest approach 28.8 lunar distances on the 26th moving with relative velocity of 13.04 km/sec

Reaches mag 16.9 at end of month



All magnitude data relates to J16 location at midnight on dates given.