Skywatch February 2004

As the sun sets on February 1st, Venus will pop into view high above the western horizon between the constellations Aquarius and Pisces. Following the ecliptic east Mars will be overhead between the constellations Pisces and Aries. Continuing east along the ecliptic, you’ll find the moon lying between the horns of Taurus the Bull. Next we come across Saturn between the feet of Gemini the Twins. Jupiter rises almost due east around 8:40 p.m. just below the stars of the constellation Leo, in the area representing his hind leg. Around this time Venus is setting almost due west. Mars is next to set around midnight. Saturn sets around 5:20 a.m. Mercury rises around 6:40 a.m., if the glow of dawn does not blot out visibility, you may be able to catch a glimpse of him as a morning star with the long winter night hours.

Australian observers will find Venus setting around 9:15 p.m., Jupiter rising around 9:20 p.m., Mars setting around 10:40 p.m., and Saturn setting around 2:40 a.m.

By mid-month Venus climbs her way east well into the constellation Pisces. She is visible for a half hour longer and sets around 9:20 p.m. Jupiter rises around 7:40 p.m. on the 15th. Due to his position in an area of the constellation Leo where only dim stars exist, it will be hard to notice his 3 degrees of retrograde movement this month. By mid-month Mars makes his way east into the constellation Aries, and is still setting around midnight. Saturn, retrograde and appearing not to move much this month, remains between the Gemini Twins’ feet and sets around 4:30 a.m. in mid-February.

By mid-month, Australian observers will find Jupiter rising an hour earlier around 8:20 p.m. Venus will set a bit earlier, around 9:00 p.m., followed by Mars around 10:10 p.m. Saturn will set around 1:40 a.m.

On February 29th Jupiter rises around 6:30 p.m. Therefore all visible planets except for Mercury are gracing the evening sky as the Sun sets below the western horizon. Watch for Jupiter to pop into view low along the eastern horizon as the skies darken. Venus graces our evening skies until about 9:50 p.m., lengthening her appearance by an hour from the beginning of February. She will be at the eastern end of the constellation Pisces by month’s end. Mars sets a bit earlier by the 29th, around 11:40 p.m. He will then be at the eastern end of the constellation Aries nearing the boundary of Taurus. Saturn sets around 3:30 a.m., almost a full two hours earlier than the beginning of February.

By month’s end, Jupiter will rise during sunset’s twilight around 7:20 p.m. over the Australian eastern horizon. Watch for Jupiter to become visible over the eastern horizon as the skies darken. Venus shortens her visibility in southern hemisphere skies. By the end of February, she sets around 8:40 p.m. Mars set occurs roughly an hour after Venus. Saturn sets shortly before 1:00 a.m.

A Full Moon occurs on the 6th at 3:47 a.m. EST. The Third Quarter Moon occurs on the 13th at 8:39 a.m. EST The Moon reaches perigee, her closest distance to Earth of 368,322 km on the 16th. The 20th provides us with a New Moon at 4:18 a.m. EST. The First Quarter Moon occurs at 10:24 p.m. EST on the 27th. The next day the moon reaches her farthest distance from Earth. Her apogee distance this February is 404,259 km.

As usual the moon will be your guide to locating the planets in the night sky as she travels the entire zodiac. For northern hemisphere observers, on the 3rd, the Moon hangs above and to the right of Saturn. The Moon sets about a half hour after Saturn. On the 8th, the Moon joins Jupiter and dances just to the right of the greater benefic. The pair set simultaneously around 9:00 a.m. after dawn is upon us rendering Jupiter invisible amidst the glow of daylight. On the evening of the 23rd, a Crescent Moon lies just to the left of Venus. The pair set simultaneously around 9:40 p.m. The Moon joins Mars in the night sky on the 25th. They set together around 11:50 p.m. On the 29th, the Moon again joins Saturn. She will be just to his left, setting 10 minutes later than Saturn in the early morning hours of March 1st. A sky map of the northern hemisphere’s western horizon on the 23rd at 9:30 p.m. depicting the setting of Venus with the Moon and Mars and Saturn above is located in the OCA public library. http://www.astrocollege.com/campus/libraries.cgi

In the southern hemisphere, the Moon joins Saturn in the night sky on the 4th. This night, Saturn hangs above and to the left of the Gibbous Moon. The pair set simultaneously around 2:30 a.m. The Moon joins Jupiter on the 9th. Jupiter also hangs above and to the left of the Moon. Jupiter sets about 10 minutes before the Moon, though daylight will be upon us and Jupiter’s set will not be visible. On the evening of the 23rd a Crescent Moon hangs to the left of Venus. On the 23rd the Moon hangs above and to the right of the bedazzling beauty. On the 25th the Moon dances about 2/5 of the way to Mars, passing him by the 26th. This is an occultation over the South Pacific Ocean, meaning the Moon will pass directly over Mars eclipsing him from view. Mars sets about 10 minutes before the Moon. On the 29th, the Moon hangs between the horns of Taurus the Bull. She will conjunct Saturn in March. A sky map of the southern hemisphere’s northwestern horizon on 24th at 8:30 p.m., depicting Venus, Moon, Mars and Saturn is available in the OCA Public Library.
http://www.astrocollege.com/campus/libraries.cgi

There are no meteor showers or other interesting occurrences this month aside from the Moon’s occultation of Mars over the South Pacific Ocean.

Happy stargazing!

Julene M. Johnson, NCGR-III
Media Director, OCA
Instructor, OCA
ONLINE College of Astrology
www.astrocollege.com
FIRST in Online Astrological Education