Volume 24 Issue 2
February 2018
February 2018
Month at a Glance:
This month being only 28 days long is wrapped in full Moons with the full Moon of January 31st and the full Moon of March 2nd. During February the planet viewing is essentially during the morning before the Sun rises with Jupiter, Mars, then Saturn rising in that order up from the from the eastern horizon. Mercury and Venus both start reappearing as evening planets toward the end of the month with viewing getting better next month.
This animated graphic is set for 6 am CST on February 15th and shows how the morniing planets, like the rest of the 8 planets have orbits that are not that greatly inclined from the plane of the ecliptic.
This month being only 28 days long is wrapped in full Moons with the full Moon of January 31st and the full Moon of March 2nd. During February the planet viewing is essentially during the morning before the Sun rises with Jupiter, Mars, then Saturn rising in that order up from the from the eastern horizon. Mercury and Venus both start reappearing as evening planets toward the end of the month with viewing getting better next month.
This animated graphic is set for 6 am CST on February 15th and shows how the morniing planets, like the rest of the 8 planets have orbits that are not that greatly inclined from the plane of the ecliptic.
Mercury moves into superior conjunction, on the other side of the Sun, and will not be visible for viewing until later next month when it reappears in the evening skies.
Venus slowly reappears after sunset this month by will still be relatively close to the Sun and thus not that easily seen.
Mars rises several hours before the Sun rises and is easily seen over the southeastern horizon at sunrise.
Dwarf Planet Ceres is sort of visible having an apparent magnitude of 6.5. Look high over the southern horizon about 10-15o above the junction of the inverted y-shape for Cancer the Crab.
Jupiter rises several hours before the Sun rises and is easily seen over the southeastern horizon at sunrise.
Saturn rises a couple of hours before the Sun and is visible above the southeast horizon at sunrise.
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