R
T H N
MAJOR
URSA
T
THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
AURIGA
E
N
W LYNX
H
With Glenn Dawes R
T
T
R
H
β
E
A
Spot the peak of the Alpha Centaurid meteor N
M36
GEMINI
T
α
shower and enjoy a view of the stars in Orion’s Belt
LEO MINOR LEO
Almach
Castor
α
M37
CANCER
Pollux
γ
β
When to use this chart
M35 ANDROMEDA
22nd
β
M44 Beehive M44 Sickle
The chart accurately matches the sky on the
1 Feb at 00:00 AEDT (13:00 UT)
LEO
δ
dates and times shown for Sydney, Australia.
γ
γ
25th
15 Feb at 23:00 AEDT (12:00 UT) δ
The sky is different at other times as the stars
δ
31 Feb at 22:00 AEDT (11:00 UT) crossing it set four minutes earlier each night.
X γ BERENICES
Ecliptic
Rosette Nebula Rosette
M64
Betelgeuse
COMA
CANIS MINOR CANIS
α Regulus
α
δ
M66
M86
β
α
β
FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS STARS AND CONSTELLATIONS “V” 28th
M87 Aldebaran
α
β
δ
ORION The Alpha Centaurids is one of the The three distinctive Belt stars of α
γ Winter Triangle Winter
Procyon
Alpheratz
few meteor showers that’s exclusive Orion are possibly the most easily Hyades
to the Southern Hemisphere. Active from recognised asterism visible from anywhere M60 α
M49
HYDRA
γ
δ
31 January to 20 February, its peak is in the world. From left to right (west
β
M78
st 1
VIRGO δ TAURUS
MONOCEROS
expected on the 8th. With a new Moon on to east) Mintaka (Delta (d) Orionis),
W
α
M48 ζ
the 12th, the evenings through to the early Alnilam (Epsilon ( ) Orionis) and Alnitak δ
e
ε
γ
β
M50
α
M43 Alphard
morning at peak offer dark skies. Although (Zeta (z) Orionis) are all hot stars Venus of Mirror
Sirius
γ
β
peak rates can be low (five per hour), it (O or B spectral classes). Alnilam and
CRATER
M47
γ
δ
compensates by producing bright yellow Alnitak are blue supergiants and are
α
M42 β
β
α
or blue coloured fireballs that leave trains. only dimmed to second magnitude
Rigel
ξ Ghost of Jupiter of Ghost
ρ
ANTLIA PYXIS
α
γ
The Alpha Centaurids radiant is close to by distance, about 2,000 and 1,200 γ
M41
M104 γ
PUPPIS
E
T
Celestial Equator Celestial
β Alpha ( ) Centauri and Beta ( ) Centauri. lightyears away, respectively. δ
a b A
Spica δ
δ
E
β
CORVUS γ α α δ
T
W
α
β
α LEPUS
Cr 135 Cr
ζ
THE PLANETS γ
CANIS MAJOR π
β
Ahadi
NGC 2298 NGC
The evening skies are sparse with start of twilight midmonth. Mercury
β
γ R
only Mars and Uranus on offer, both follows these outer planets into the γ
Canopus 4th setting close to 23:00 midmonth. Likewise, morning and catches up. Low in the early
ο
the morning offers little until dawn. After eastern dawn sky, these planets are seen VELA
δ ERIDANUS COLUMBA
Eta Carina Nebula last month, Saturn then Jupiter appears passing Venus; Saturn is closest on the M83
False Cross β CAELUM out of the solar glow, rising around the 6th with Jupiter and Mercury on the 14th. EQUULEUS δ
α
α CENTAURUS CARINA α R PICTOR
γ LIBRA
γ β α DEEP-SKY OBJECTS CRUX γ δ α
ε δ β α FORNAX w Cen β γ The naked-eye star Pi (p) Puppis, or Move 6° west of Collinder 135 NGC 2397 β β γ δ Ahadi (RA 7h 17.1m dec. –37° 06’) is a to discover the globular cluster DORADO Coal Acrux α VOLANS double, offering colour contrast with mag. NGC 2298 (RA 6h 49.0m, dec. -36° 00’). Sack Tarantula Nebulaα
Jewel Box β α α α LMC +2.9 and +7.9 components, yellow and blue It is fainter (at mag. +9.3) and smaller Alpha Centaurids HOROLOGIUM β γ δ γ
α Peak 08 Feb γ R respectively, separated by 1 arcminute. than many globulars with a halo only β β δ δ Pi Puppis is also the brightest member around 3 arcminutes across and a β Hadar MENSA RETICULUM
MUSCA β γ δ
of a large open cluster, Collinder 135. Its few scattered faint stars around the Rigel Kent LUPUS α CHAMAELEON most distinctive feature is three mag. +5.0 edge. The brightness rises quickly α
δ δ blue stars (two close together) in a line to a 2-arcminute core which plateaus, β α γ South Celestial Pole
forming an isosceles triangle with Pi showing little further brightening near γ γ Achernar α γ Puppis, fitting in a 0.5° diameter circle. the centre. CIRCINUS γ OCTANS HYDRUS δ α T δ β NORMA β E T TRIANGULUMδ APUS β SMC H W E γ 47 Tucanae H A AUSTRALE α β T Chart key β T PHOENIX STAR
GALAXY DIFFUSE ASTEROID BRIGHTNESS: α γ TRACK MAG. 0 δ NEBULOSITY OPEN CLUSTER & BRIGHTER ARA METEOR β DOUBLE STAR MAG. +1 α GLOBULAR RADIANT β δ γ MAG. +2 CLUSTER VARIABLE STAR QUASAR MAG. +3 δ γ PLANETARY PAVO α COMET TRACK MAG. +4 TUCANA CORONAAUSTRALIS NEBULA PLANET & FAINTER
CHART: PETECHART: LAWRENCE
BBC Sky at Night Magazine February 2021 TH BBC Sky at Night Magazine February 2021