Night Sky Viewing at Widener University February 2020
Sunrise & Sunset Times (EST) Lunar Phases
Sunrise Sunset
Begin Month 7:11 am 5:19 pm First Quarter Full Last Quarter New End Month 6:36 am 5:52 pm 1st 9th 15th 23rd “Snow Moon”
Naked-Eye Planets in the Evening & Morning Constellations and Bright Stars Sky this Month Visible by 8 pm EST in February
Mercury (in Capricornus-Aquarius): This February provides an Cassiopeia – high in NNW, looking like an “M” especially good opportunity to spot Mercury, which is visible low in the Bright stars Shedar, Caph, Ruchbah west-southwest at dusk. Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation Perseus – W of overhead, E of Cassiopeia with the Sun on the 10th, when it sets 1½ hours after sunset. Mercury Bright stars Mirfak and Algol then begins to sink lower with each passing night, eventually reaching inferior conjunction with the Sun on the 25th, after which it swings into Auriga – high in NE, E of Perseus the dawn sky. Bright star Capella, overhead by 10 pm
Venus (in Aquarius-Pisces): Venus is like a dazzling yellow gem Aries – high in S, W of Taurus hovering above the southwestern horizon at dusk. Throughout February, Bright stars Hamal, Sheratan Venus sets about three and a half hours after the Sun, allowing plenty of time to observe it well into the evening. See how soon you can spot Taurus – high in SSW, below Perseus & Auriga Venus with the unaided eye moderately high in the southwest after Bright star Aldebaran sunset Star Clusters Pleiades & Hyades
Mars (in Ophiuchus-Sagittarius): This February, Mars rises a few Orion –up in SE, is highest in S around 10 pm minutes before 4 am, or roughly 3½ hours before sunrise. Once up, Mars Bright stars Betelgeuse, Rigel is easily spotted low in the southeast. At month’s end, Mars’s brightness Gemini – halfway up in ESE, to left of Orion will be about the same as the nearby red supergiant star Antares, whose Bright stars Pollux, Castor name in fact means “rival of Mars.” Though still relatively far from Earth right now, by next October Mars will be over four times closer and Canis Major – up in SE, to lower left of Orion will rival Jupiter in brilliance. Bright star Sirius
Jupiter (in Sagittarius): As February opens, Jupiter, which reached Canis Minor – well up in ESE, getting higher conjunction with the Sun in late December, is rising around 5:30 am, or Bright star Procyon over 1½ hours before the Sun, and is easily spotted resembling a very bright golden star low in the southeast at the first light of dawn. By Leo – low in ENE, getting higher Bright star Regulus month’s end, Jupiter is rising around 4 am, or 2½ hours before the Sun. Hydra – rising in ESE Saturn (in Sagittarius): Saturn was in conjunction with the Sun back in Bright star Alphard (“the Solitary One”), mid-January, and is now visible in the morning sky resembling a below Procyon and to right of Regulus moderately bright yellow star. At the start of February, Saturn is rising at about 6:15 am, or less than an hour before sunrise. By the end of Ursa Major – low in NNE, getting higher February, Saturn is rising several minutes before 5 am, or 2 hours before Asterism Big Dipper, w/ pointer stars Merak, Dubhe; sunrise. handle stars Alioth, Mizar (& Alcor), Alkaid
For more information on the night sky, visit the Widener Observatory Stargazing website at www.widener.edu/stargazing/. A set of free sky maps can be obtained at www.skymaps.com/.