Sydney Observatory night sky map February 2011 A map for each month of the year, to help you learn about the night sky www.sydneyobservatory.com.au

The star chart shows the stars and constellations visible in the night sky for Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Hobart and Adelaide for February 2011 at about 8:30 pm (summer time) and at about 7:30 pm (local standard time) for Perth and Brisbane. For Darwin and similar locations the chart will still apply, but some stars will be lost off the southern edge while extra stars will be visible to the north. Stars down to a brightness or magnitude limit of 4.5 are shown. To use this star chart, rotate it so that the direction you are facing (north, south, east or west) is shown at the bottom. The centre of the chart represents the point directly

above your head, called the zenith point, and the outer circular edge represents the horizon.

h t r o N Star brightness Moon phase New Moon: 03rd Zero or brighter st First quarter: 11th 1 magnitude LYNX Full Moon: 18th nd Capella

2 Last quarter: 25th

rd N

AURIGA PERSEUS 3 E Gemini (the Twins)

ANDROMEDA

th W 4 N

Pleiades TRIANGULUM Pollux

Hyades Moon on 11th GEMINI M44 TAURUS ARIES CANCER Aldebaran

Betelgeuse ORION PISCES CANIS MINOR Procyon

Regulus Orion (the Hunter) M42 MONOCEROS Rigel Jupiter HYDRA Sirius ERIDANUS P Canis Major Sirius LEPUS (the Great Dog) CETUS

E CANIS MAJOR

a SEXTANS

t s

Adhara s t FORNAX COLUMBA e CAELUM

W

PUPPIS HYDRA PYXIS ERIDANUS PICTOR SCULPTOR AQUARIUS Canopus HOROLOGIUM

RETICULUM CRATER ANTLIA DORADO PHOENIX Achernar VELA LMC CARINA FALSE CROSS VOLANS HYDRUS MENSA TUCANA PISCIS AUSTRINUS SMC GRUS

SOUTHERN CROSS CHAMAELEON South Celestial Pole OCTANS

MUSCA CRUX INDUS Mimosa MICROSCOPIUM Chart key S POINTERS APUS E PAVO W Bright star CENTAURUS S Faint star Hadar TRIANGULUM AUSTRALE Ecliptic Alpha Centauri CIRCINUS Milky Way TELESCOPIUM P Planet LMC or Large Magellanic Cloud South ARA SMC or Small Magellanic Cloud NORMA

Low in the west is Jupiter, visible as a bright star-like object in Pisces. At 9 pm on the 7th Jupiter is located above the Crescent Moon towards the western horizon. The best time to view the Moon using binoculars or a small telescope is a few days either side of the first quarter Moon on the 11th. Visible in the sky are the constellations Canis Major (the Great Dog), Orion (the Hunter) and Gemini (the Twins). Crux (the Southern Cross) is low in the south-east.

2011 Australian sky guide book Daily activities

The 2011 Australian sky guide has details on the sky Sydney Observatory is open every day (except for the whole year, including the rise and set times for Christmas Day and Good Friday) between 10am and the Sun, Moon and planets, and tidal information for 5pm. Bookings are essential for night programs. See Sydney. Available from Sydney Observatory, the the 3-D space theatre and view the stars through our Powerhouse Museum and good bookshops (RRP telescopes every night. $16.95); also via mail order (postal charges apply) at Watson Road, Observatory Hill, The Rocks www.powerhousemuseum.com/publications/ www.sydneyobservatory.com.au Ph (02) 9921 3485

Sydney Observatory is part of the Powerhouse Museum. The Sydney Observatory night sky map is prepared by Dr M Anderson using the software TheSky. © 2011 Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney.