February Calendar by Dave Mitsky

All times are UT (subtract 5 hours and when appropriate 1 calendar day
for EST)

2/1 The Great Red Spot (GRS) transits Jupiter's central meridian at
09:05
2/2 The GRS transits at 04:56; last Quarter Moon occurs at 07:27;
Jupiter is stationary at 16:00
2/3 The GRS transits at 00:47; the GRS transits at 10:43; maximum
lunar libration of 7.6 degrees at 14:00; Neptune is in conjunction with
the Sun at 19:00
2/4 The Moon is 1.1 degrees north of the first magnitude star Antares
(magnitude 1.1) at 05:00; a lunar occultation of Antares, which is
visible from central and northern Europe, occurs at 06:00; the GRS
transits at 06:34
2/5 The GRS transits at 02:25; the Moon is 4 degrees south of Mars at
13:00
2/6 The GRS transits at 08:12
2/7 Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) eclipses the eclipsing binary star RZ
Cassiopeia (magnitude 6.2 to 7.7); the GRS transits at 04:03; the Moon
is at perigee, subtending 33'19" from a distance of 358,565 km (222,802
miles), at 22:12
2/8 Mercury is 2.0 degrees from Neptune; the GRS transits at 09:50;
minimum lunar libration of 6.4 degrees occurs at 20:00; New Moon
(lunation 1016) occurs at 22:28
2/9 The GRS transits at 05:41
2/10 Mars reaches its southernmost point (declination -23 degrees 45
minutes); the GRS transits at 01:33; the Galilean satellites Io,
Ganymede, and Callisto are closely bunched to the west of Jupiter at 04:00;
Ganymede disappears into eclipse by Jupiter's shadow at 5:04; Ganymede
reappears from eclipse at 7:50; Ganymede is occulted by Jupiter at
09:29; the eclipsing variable star Algol (Beta Persei) decreases in
brightness from magnitude 2.1 to a minimum of magnitude 3.4 at 11:09;
the GRS transits at 11:28
2/11 The GRS transits at 07:19
2/12 The GRS transits at 03:11
2/13 Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) is less than 30" east of the planetary
nebula NGC 1360 in Fornax; Algol is at a minimum at 07:58; the GRS
transits at 08:58; maximum lunar libration of 7.3 degrees occurs at
20:00
2/14 The GRS transits at 04:49; Mercury is in superior conjunction at
11:00; Venus is 1.0 degree south of Neptune at 19:00
2/15 Venus is 0.9 degree south of Neptune; the GRS transits at 00:40;
the GRS transits at 10:36; the A star of the Trapezium, Theta Orionis A
(magnitude 6.7), dims by approximately 1 magnitude by mid-eclipse
during a 2.5 hour long event that begins at 23:27
2/16 The Moon passes 1.2 degrees south of the open cluster M45 (the
Pleiades) tonight; First Quarter Moon occurs at 00:16; Algol is at a
minimum at 04:47; the GRS transits at 06:27
2/17 The GRS transits at 02:18
2/18 The periodic comet 62P/Tsuchinshan 1 makes its closest approach to
the Earth (0.793 AU); the GRS transits at 08:05
2/19 The GRS transits at 03:56; Algol is at a minimum at 01:37
2/20 Mercury is 1.0 degree from Uranus; the Moon is at apogee,
subtending 29'27" from a distance of 405,805 km (252,156 miles), at
04:59; the GRS transits at 09:43; the Moon is 5 degrees north of Saturn
at 11:00
2/21 The GRS transits at 05:34
2/22 The GRS transits at 01:25; the GRS transits at 11:21
2/23 Asteroid 2 Pallas (magnitude 7.6) is 23' east of magnitude 2.8
Porrima (Gamma Virginis); the GRS transits at 07:12
2/24 The GRS transits at 03:03; Full Moon (known as the Hunger, Snow, or
Storm Moon) occurs at 04:54; asteroid 7 Juno is in conjunction with the
Sun at 17:00
2/25 Uranus is in conjunction with the Sun at 07:00; the GRS transits at
08:50
2/26 The GRS transits at 04:41; minimum lunar libration of 5.7 degrees
occurs at 13:00
2/27 The GRS transits at 00:32; the GRS transits at 10:28; a lunar
occultation of Jupiter, which is visible from southern Australia and
Antarctica, occurs at 14:00; the Moon is 1.2 degrees south of Jupiter at
15:00
2/28 The GRS transits at 06:19

Times and dates for the lunar light rays predicted to occur this month
are available at http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rays/rays.htm

By the end of the month, Mercury (magnitude -1.4) is visible just above
the western horizon a half hour after sunset.

Venus shines very low in the east-southeast at magnitude -3.7 just
before sunrise in early February.

Mars (magnitude 1.3) is located in Sagittarius in the morning sky. On
the morning of February 7, it is located between M8 (the Lagoon Nebula)
and M20 (the Trifid Nebula). Eleven days later Mars is just 0.3' north
of the excellent globular cluster M22.

Jupiter is a magnitude -2.3 beacon in Virgo. On February 19 it lies 0.2
degree south of Theta Virginis (magnitude 4.4).

Saturn fades slightly to -0.1 magnitude during February but is still a
superb sight in the constellation Gemini. Its brightest satellite,
Titan, is at greatest western elongation on the nights of February 3 and
19 and is at greatest eastern elongation on the nights of February 11
and 27.

The outer gas giants, Uranus and Neptune, are not visible this month.

It is possible to see Pluto before sunrise but it will be a far easier
target in late spring and early summer.

Fifth magnitude Comet C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) heads through Cassiopeia in
February. The first third of the month offers the best viewing
opportunities. Two other fairly bright comets are worthy of observing:
Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) and Comet C/2003 T4 (LINEAR). Both will shine
at approximately eighth magnitude.

Asteroid 8 Flora (magnitude 9.0) and asteroid 532 Herculina (magnitude
9.2) are located in eastern Gemini in February.

Forty binary and multiple stars for February: 41 Aurigae, Struve 872,
Otto Struve 147, Struve 929, 56 Aurigae (Auriga); Nu-1 Canis Majoris, 17
Canis Majoris, Pi Canis Majoris, Mu Canis Majoris, h3945, Tau Canis
Majoris (Canis Major); Struve 1095, Struve 1103, Struve 1149, 14 Canis
Minoris (Canis Minor); 20 Geminorum, 38 Geminorum, Alpha Geminorum
(Castor), 15 Geminorum, Lambda Geminorum, Delta Geminorum, Struve 1108,
Kappa Geminorum (Gemini); 5 Lyncis, 12 Lyncis, 19 Lyncis, Struve 968,
Struve 1025 (Lynx); Epsilon Monocerotis, Beta Monocerotis, 15 (S)
Monocerotis (Monoceros); Struve 855 (Orion); Struve 1104, k Puppis, 5
Puppis (Puppis)

Challenge binary star for February: 15 Lyncis (Lynx)

Fifty deep-sky objects for February: NGC 2146, NGC 2403
(Camelopardalis); M41, NGC 2345, NGC 2359, NGC 2360, NGC 2362, NGC 2367,
NGC 2383 (Canis Major); M35, NGC 2129, NGC 2158, NGC 2266, NGC 2355, NGC
2371-72, NGC 2392, NGC 2420 (Gemini); NGC 2419 (Lynx); M50, NGC 2232,
NGC 2237, NGC 2238, NGC 2244, NGC 2245, NGC 2251, NGC 2261, NGC 2264,
NGC 2286, NGC 2301, NGC 2311, NGC 2324, NGC 2335, NGC 2345, NGC 2346,
NGC 2353 (Monoceros); NGC 2169, NGC 2174, NGC 2194 (Orion); M46, M47,
M93, Mel 71, NGC 2421, NGC 2423, NGC 2438, NGC 2439, NGC 2440, NGC 2467,
NGC 2506, NGC 2509 (Puppis)

Challenge deep-sky object for February: IC 443 (Gemini)

__________________
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Thanks Dave
Once again an invaluable guide to the months observing.
Many thanks
Jsc248.

Yes I agree, It is good to see that you have a regular 'pinned' night sky diary David, and its full of informative data, along side the observers test objects at the end.

I know that fellow correspondent Tammy Platner is doing her best with her own sky diary 'What's up This Week' in the front News area of this web site, yet it just flogs the subject to death and provides little useful hard data. That is why I like reading your material David, the hard data is there for the amateur astronomer to see and make use of; it's not a bucket-full of words!

Keep up the good work David, this is great stuff.

Richard Pearson
Science Correspondent

__________________
Richard Pearson
Science Correspondent
<span style='color:purple'>Yahoo Instant Messege ID:</span> <span style='color:blue'>richard_pearson2</span>

Hi Dave,

Just a thanks for providing useful information for us, I like this, as it gives me the month at a glance and is great for planning upcoming events and helps me to make sure I schedule them before the night it happens.

Thanks Again,

__________________
Best Regards,
John Chumack
The Chumack Observatories
MPC 838 Dayton Research Station
MPC H66 Yellow Springs Research Station
www.galacticimages.com

2/13 Comet C/2003 K4 (LINEAR) is less than 30" east of the planetary
nebula NGC 1360 in Fornax; Algol is at a minimum at 07:58; the GRS
transits at 08:58; maximum lunar libration of 7.3 degrees occurs at
20:00

I'll be watching out!

__________________
Science is wonderfully equipped to answer the question &quot;How?&quot; but it gets terribly confused when you ask the question &quot;Why?&quot;
Erwin Chargaff