February Calendar by Dave Mitsky

All times, unless otherwise noted, are UT (subtract five hours and, when appropriate, one calendar day for EST)

2/1 The Moon is 1.8 degrees north of the bright open cluster M44 (the Beehive) in Cancer at 18:00; asteroid 2 Pallas is in conjunction with the Sun at 22:00
2/2 Today is Candlemas or Groundhog Day, a cross-quarter day; Full Moon (known as the Hunger, Snow, or Storm Moon) occurs at 5:45; Saturn is 0.9 degree south of the Moon - an occultation is visible from central Asia, eastern Scandinavia, and the Arctic - at 23:00
2/3 The Moon is 1.1 degrees north of the first magnitude star Regulus (Alpha Leonis) - an occultation is visible from northern Greenland and northwestern North America - at 14:00
2/5 Mercury is at the ascending node today; a minimum lunar libration of 1.5 degrees occurs at 17:00
2/7 The Moon is at apogee, subtending 29'30" from a distance of 404,992 km, at 12:38; Venus is 0.7 degree south of Uranus at 13:00; Mercury is at greatest eastern elongation (18 degrees) at 17:00
2/8 The Moon is 1.3 degrees south of the first magnitude star Spica (Alpha Virginis) - an occultation is visible from at 4:00; Neptune is in conjunction with the Sun at 16:00
2/10 Mercury is at perihelion today; Last Quarter Moon occurs at 9:51; Saturn (magnitude 0.0, apparent size 20.3") is at opposition at 19:00
2/11 The Moon is 0.7 degrees south of the first magnitude star Antares (Alpha Scorpii) - an occultation is visible from south of South America - at 22:00
2/12 Jupiter is 6.0 degrees north of the Moon at 10:00
2/13 A maximum lunar libration of 9.5 degrees occurs at 13:00; Mercury is stationary at 14:00
2/15 Mars is 4.0 degrees north of the Moon at 1:00
2/17 New Moon (lunation 1041) occurs at 16:14
2/19 Asteroid 3 Juno is stationary today; a minimum lunar libration of 1.0 degrees occurs at 7:00; Moon is at perigee, subtending 33'04" from a distance of 361,434 kilometers, at 10:00; Venus is 2.0 degrees south of the Moon at 17:00
2/20 Mercury is at its greatest heliocentric latitude north today
2/23 Mercury is in inferior conjunction at 5:00; the Moon is 1.0 degree north of the bright open cluster M45 (the Pleiades) in Taurus - occultations of some of the Pleiads (the bright stars of the Pleiades) are visible from northwestern Europe and northeastern North America - at 23:00
2/24 First Quarter Moon occurs at 7:56
2/25 A maximum lunar libration of 9.2 degrees occurs at 17:00

During the first half of the month, the zodiacal light can be seen in the western sky after sunset from dark sites.

The Moon is at its greatest northern declination of +29 degrees on February 25 and its greatest southern declination of -29 degrees on February 13. It is 12.8 days old at 0:00 UT on February 1. 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

Brightness, apparent size, illumination, distance from the Earth in astronomical units, and location data for the planets and Pluto on February 1: Mercury (-0.9 magnitude, 5.9", 78% illuminated, 1.1 a.u., Aquarius), Venus (-3.9 magnitude, 11.0", 92% illuminated, 1.5 a.u., Aquarius), Mars (1.4 magnitude, 4.2", 97% illuminated, 2.2 a.u., Sagittarius), Jupiter (-1.9 magnitude, 33.9", 99% illuminated, 5.8 a.u., Ophiuchus), Saturn (0.0 magnitude, 20.2", 100% illuminated, 8.2 a.u., Leo), Uranus (5.9 magnitude, 3.4", 100% illuminated, 20.9 a.u., Aquarius), Neptune (8.0 magnitude, 2.2", 100% illuminated, 31.0 a.u., Capricornus), and Pluto (14.0 magnitude, 0.1", 100% illuminated, 31.9 a.u., Sagittarius).

During the evening, look for Mercury (early and midmonth), Venus, and Uranus in the western sky and Saturn in the eastern sky. Saturn is in the south at midnight. Mars and Jupiter are located in the southeast and Saturn in the west in the morning.

Mercury undergoes one of its best evening apparitions of the year during the first half of this month. When it reaches maximum eastern elongation on February 7, Mercury shines at magnitude -0.7 and is located 7 degrees to the lower right of Venus. It subtends 7", with a 53% illuminated disk, and is visible for more than 1.5 hours after the sunset. Mercury’s apparent size increases by 1" as its phase decreases from 78% to 56% during the first week of February. A week later Mercury shrinks to a crescent and dims to magnitude 0.8. Not long afterwards the speedy planet disappears into the Sun’s glare.

Venus is approximately 19 degrees above the horizon on the first day of February and 27 degrees on the last day of the month. Venus is 1 degree southeast of Lambda Aquarii (magnitude 3.8) on February 6.

Dim and small, Mars leaves Sagittarius and enters Capricornus on February 25. It rises about 1.5 hours before sunrise and is a somewhat difficult naked-eye target.

Jupiter rises at approximately 3:30 a.m. on February 1 and 2:00 a.m. on February 28. Click on http://skyandtelescope.com/observing...icle_107_1.asp to determine transits of the central meridian by the Great Red Spot. Data on the Galilean satellites is available at http://skytonight.com/observing/obje...t/3307071.html

Saturn reaches opposition on February 10 and is therefore visible for the entire night. Its rings span 46". Titan (magnitude 8.4) passes north of Saturn on the nights of February 4 and February 20 and south of it on the nights of February 11 and February 28. Eleventh magnitude Iapetus, Saturn's unusual satellite, is located to the south of Saturn on the night of February 13. For further information on Saturn’s satellites, browse http://skytonight.com/observing/obje...t/3308506.html

Uranus and Venus are separated by only 0.7 degree on February 7. The planetary duo is 5 degrees high at 7:00 p.m.

Since Neptune is in conjunction with the Sun on February 8, it is not observable this month.

Pluto is positioned higher in the sky than Jupiter at dawn but remains very difficult to observe in February.

Comet P/2001 Q2 (Petriew), a periodic comet that was discovered serendipitously in 2001 by an amateur astronomer at a star party, glides eastward through Pisces and into Cetus. On the evening of February 4, it is located close to the Circlet of Pisces. The eleventh magnitude comet has a period of 5.5 years and reaches perihelion on February 24.

The "small solar system body" asteroid 7 Iris (magnitude 9.3) also tracks eastward this month as it passes to the south of the Pleiades.

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)

Top ten deep-sky objects for February: M35, M41, M46, M47, M50, M93, NGC 2169, NGC 2362, NGC 2392, NGC 2403

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

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