Category: Sky Events
Sky events
The Moon and Mercury
Tomorrow morning, Feb 27th, the planet Mercury can be seen about 3° below the rising Moon. Mercury will rise about 05:29HST and be over 15° above the horizon at sunrise. The Moon will be quite old, a very thin 4% illuminated crescent. the pairing should make for a pretty dawn.
The Moon and Venus
The following morning, February 25th, will see the Moon 7° below Venus. Observant sky-watchers will note Mercury another 16° closer to the eastern horizon and the rising Sun.
The Moon and Saturn
Tomorrow morning, Feb 21st, the Moon will be in close attendance with Saturn, separated by a little under 4°. The two will be high in southern the sky before dawn, a last quarter Moon will be 61% illuminated. Saturn can be seen as a 0.5 magnitude object just East of the Moon and west of the head of Scorpio. The following morning, Feb 22nd, the Moon will have moved to the other side of the ringed planet with a separation of just over 8°.
Viewers on the other side of the world will be able to see a very close pairing of the two, less than half a degree apart or even in occultaion depending on location. Close approach will be about 14:00 HST on the 21st. You could make an attempt to view the pair in the daytime sky, Saturn is bright enough to be seen next to the Moon in a modest telescope or even a good pair of binoculars. Unfortunately the Moon sets around 11:00, a few hours before close approach here in the islands.
Mercury at Inferior Conjunction
Today the planet Mercury passes through inferior conjunction, passing between the Sun and the Earth. In a week or so the planet will again be visible in the dawn sky, climbing higher each day. Maximum elongation will occur March 13th.
Full Moon
The Moon and Jupiter
Tonight the Moon and Jupiter will be quite close. The pair will rise at nearly the same time, about 15:09HST, placing the two well up in the eastern sky by sunset. The Moon will be quite large, 87% illuminated and about 5° from the bright planet.
With Jupiter this close to the Moon it is an excellent time to see Jupiter in the daytime sky. Look 5° north of the Moon for a bright pinpoint of light. 5° is ten times the size of the Moon seen in the sky, north will be to the left seen as the pair rises above the eastern horizon.
New Moon
Mercury at Maximum Elongation
Today Mercury reaches maximum elongation, the furthest point it will reach from the Sun in our sky and the highest it will be above the sunset for this evening apparition. The planet is easily visible as a bright, starlike object about 18° above the setting Sun as twilight begins. Over the next couple weeks Mercury will slide back into the sunset, heading for inferior conjunction on February 15th.
Naked Eye 100 Challenge
Amateur astronomers love lists… The Messier observing list, the Hershel 400, the Hershel II, and on. Some lists can be complete on a night or two, some lists may take years, or even a lifetime to accomplish. Amateur astronomy is not the only avocation to use lists like this. Birders attempt to see all of the birds known to occur in their home country. Aircraft spotters love to see each model of aircraft in the air. Divers keep lists of species seen underwater.
Lists like these are not only fun, but allow the list chaser to sample the wonders our universe has to offer. The challenge of finding and observing each of the items is worthwhile. Each object is a lesson into the science, hunting each object allows skills to be practiced.
Most of the astronomy observing lists require a small telescope to accomplish, or at least a pair of binoculars. One list is a bit different, it does not require any optical aid at all… The Naked Eye 100.