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The Evening Sky

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The Evening Sky I N E D R I A C A S T N E O D I T A C L E O R N I G D S T S H A E P H M O O R C I . Z N O e d b l A a r , a l n e O , g N i C R a , Z p s e u I l i C l r a i , R I S C f R a O o s C t p H o L u r E e E & d H P a ( o T F m l O l s u i D R NORTH x ” , N M n E a A o n O X g d A H a x C P M T e r . I o P Polaris H N c S L r y E E e o P Z t n “ n E . EQUATORIAL EDITION i A N H O W T M “ R e T Y N H h E T ” K E ) W S . T T E U W B R N The Evening Sky Map W D E T T . FEBRUARY 2011 WH r A e E C t M82 FREE* EACH MONTH FOR YOU TO EXPLORE, LEARN & ENJOY THE NIGHT SKY O s S L u K l T Y c E CASSIOPEIA h R e r M a A S t A SKY MAP SHOWS HOW i s η M81 Get Sky Calendar on Twitter S P c T s k C A l e e E CAMELOPARDALIS R d J Sky Calendar – February 2011 a O http://twitter.com/skymaps i THE NIGHT SKY LOOKS s B y U O a H N L s D e t A h NE a I t I EARLY FEB 9 PM r T T f S p 1 Moon near Mercury (16° from Sun, morning sky) at 17h UT. S o a E MAJOR NW C t e L E Cluster t c E N e LATE FEB 8 PM URSA n C r Double T a n . E 3 New Moon at 2:31 UT. Start of lunation 1090. t (Add 1 Hour For Daylight Saving) N s R t i h O d ( SKY MAP DRAWN FOR Z a J I t e U R h 4 Mars at conjunction with the Sun at 17h UT. The red planet f S M31 A LATITUDE OF 0° t o O T r H e m A c AND IS SUITABLE E i s passes into the morning sky. S H w t Y t T h FOR LATITUDES UP O e PERSEUS S n U I a h 6 Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 23h UT (distance TO 15° NORTH h γ A E e LYNX ANDROMEDA t L R a C d OR SOUTH OF e E r R 405,924 km; angular size 29.7'). a D o I Capella n THIS C O m d I R s N i c E Algol 7 Moon near Jupiter at 4h UT. Mag. –2.1. G h T r e e U N t s O O s t M33 W u E o 8 Alpha Centaurids meteor shower peaks at 11h UT. AURIGA l ) f c GEMINI H T L r S M38 Castor e a Favorable year for a sometimes major southern shower. O D t o s N T ( H A s T Pollux e M36 About 6 meteors/hour but can peak at up to 25/hour. E ) h Denebola d e M37 H C Hamal Mars a LEO s Sickle T i O CANCER L I Produces bright, fast meteors. Active Jan 28 to Feb 21. e M γ i l N o iade M35 P P E e n l A γ Z ) P e M44 ( Best observed in the pre-dawn hours. S . h S ARIES T D M1 D A I 11 First Quarter Moon at 7:18 UT. E R H PISCES E R Aldebaran Hyades C MINOR CANIS E Regulus T V M67 11 Moon near the Pleiades at 23h UT (evening sky). I O O TAURUS C 2264 N T I Y P 69 Cr I L Betelgeuse L T C 12 Moon near Aldebaran (evening sky) at 19h UT. T H E C 2244 A MONOCEROS Procyon E T R I EAST 16 Moon near Beehive cluster M44 (evening sky) at A D P P Y E 22h UT. ORION K A 2232 S R Mira σ E S M48 WEST H 18 Moon near Regulus (midnight sky) at 8h UT. A Alphard T L M50 M42 . F O l Jupiter β CETUS O e N 18 Full Moon at 8:36 UT. g T G HYDRA Rigel M47 i R Sirius R T T A h H M46 o P e 19 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 7h UT t E E CANIS r n B a H a MAJOR O T (358,247 km; 33.8'). m CRATER n T r S T e M41 e I O h A 3242 γ M c P 21 Moon near Saturn (morning sky) at 12h UT. Mag. +0.5. l LEPUS p A A O h M F a k m PUPPIS o E T r 22 Moon near Spica (morning sky) at 0h UT. d r H phda f H T E m ERIDANUS α Di y F M e a a O 24 Last Quarter Moon at 23:26 UT. w A n FORNAX 2451 s R P s t E i I “ T S 25 Moon near Antares (morning sky) at 5h UT. s s N o T 2477 d E l 253 H i n C t i E 2 a L w E r 25 Mercury at superior conjunction with the Sun at 9h S y , H A T y M o θ g . n 3132 o S UT. The planet passes into the evening sky. E e l E A ” o h M S i t I n T T 2547 y The Zodiacal Light is caused by sunlight reflected off H A m D r E a IC 2391 N Canop k D b us e A i e meteoric dust in the plane of the solar system. Choose a I c r S R CARINA SCULPTOR E E d G T C e n A clear, moonless night, about 1–2 hours after sunset, and look T s i D I c r O ri PHOENIX e N Symbols N b v I i i A for a large triangular- shaped glow extending up from the T n r T H g 2516 a R A w , E Galaxy T e s C horizon (along the ecliptic). The best months to view the Zodiacal Y l u O l 3114 n N U it SE a O s 3293 id S Double Star Light is when the ecliptic is almost vertical at the horizon: March F p r R A o 2070 SW E A C s R 2808 ζ n E E. it Achernar io P Variable Star and April (evening) and October–November (morning); times reversed B io t P E n la A G i 3372 LMC el T I n 3532 t I for the southern hemisphere. N t ns S Diffuse Nebula B he o A Y s 3918 IC 2602 c N U k he ZO More sky events and links at http://Skymaps.com/skycalendar/ SI y. T I Planetary Nebula N OR G H TH β TUCANA O- Open Star Cluster All times in Universal Time (UT). (Singapore Standard Time = UT + 8 hours.) E -T SK . ON Y or) IZ MA M in OR Globular Star Cluster P T ag SMC s M H O nif 47 Tuc ani OM FIN ice & C FR SAVE ON RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS • http://Skymaps.com/store D nt O jor KY A B rion Ma T S RIG (d anis IGH Star Magnitudes HT irect SOUTH y (C E N -101234 • Star Atlases & Planispheres • Star Charts & Astro Posters STA ly abo nearb TIR R PA ve) repr wo dogs E EN • Books for Sky Watchers • Telescopes & Binoculars TTER esents a hunter with his t S TH Copyright © 2000–2011 Kym Thalassoudis. All Rights Reserved. N IN SHOW THE SKY KY MAP Help support the production and free distribution of The Evening Sky Map . INSTRUCTIONS: THE S * TERMS OF USE: FREE FOR NON-COMMERCIAL EDUCATIONAL USE. ASTRONOMY EDUCATION GROUPS MAY FREELY DISTRIBUTE PRINTED HANDOUTS. FULL DETAILS AT http://Skymaps.com/terms.html About the Celestial Objects Easily Seen with the Naked Eye Listed on this page are several of the brighter, more interesting celestial objects Capella Aur The 6th brightest star. Appears yellowish in color. Spectroscopic binary. Dist=42 ly. visible in the evening sky this month (refer to the monthly sky map). The objects are Sirius CMa The brightest star in the sky. Also known as the "Dog Star". Dist=8.6 ly. Procyon CMi Greek name meaning "before the dog" -- rises before Sirius (northern latitudes). Dist=11.4 ly. grouped into three categories. Those that can be easily seen with the naked eye (that Canopus Car Second brightest star in the sky. 14,000 times more luminous than the Sun. Dist=309 ly. is, without optical aid), those easily seen with binoculars, and those requiring a Achernar Eri Brightest star in Eridanus, The River.
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