Five planets are still visible with the naked eye in the mornings. Have a try and spot them all. The little planet Mercury is best seen from 6.40 am onwards in the constellation Sagittarius. Mercury is at its furthest point from the Sun in the sky on Sunday. Unfortunately, it is currently moving through the constellation Sagittarius. It is a constellation which never rises very high above the horizon. So the planet might still be difficult to spot. Using Venus and a pair of binoculars might help. The bright planet Venus is best seen from 6.30 am onwards in the constellation Sagittarius. The red planet Mars is best seen from 1.40 am onwards in the constellation Libra. The giant planet Jupiter is best seen from 8.30 onwards, through the night in the constellation Leo. Saturn, the planet with the rings is best seen from 4.20 am onwards in the constellation Ophiuchus.
After Sun set the Zodiacal Light can be observed. Looks for a brighter triangle patch in the West South Western horizon after Sun set. The Gegenschein can be seen just after midnight when a good dark sky. Look for a faint glowing patch of sky at about 53° above the Southern horizon in the constellation Cancer.
Wednesday 3 February
Today in 1966 three days after its take off, the unmanned Soviet Luna 9 spacecraft landed safely on the Moon in the Ocean of Storms. It was the first ever soft landing on another celestial body, and opened the way for manned trips to the Moon. By then there were doubts of surfaces being unsafe or dusty quicksand.
Daytime Iridium flare. Or at least at twilight in the South West at an altitude of 19° in the constellation Aquarius. Iridiums are satellites, moving as a "star" in the night sky Iridium flares sudden lights up in the sky at the time and position indicated. These are bright mirrors or mostly antennas turning in the direction of Sunlight. The Sun is under the horizon, but brightening for our visibility as the satellites are high about the Earth. You do not need a telescope of binocular to watch. Another Flare appears at 6.04 pm in the West North West at an altitude of 13° in the constellation Vulpecula.
The International Space Station, called ISS, appears at 6.44 pm in the South South West. ISS disappears already after 5 minutes at an altitude of 17°. ISS is a satellite and moves in the night sky as a bright dot or star. You can watch it easily with the naked eye.
You will need a good binocular or a small telescope to see and watch the events on and around Jupiter. At 2.14 am the Great Red Spot will transit the giant planet.
Look at the Moon at about 5 am. The Moon is close to the planet with the rings, called Saturn. They are about 11 lunar diameters separated or Saturn is 3.5° South of the Moon. The altitude is only 6° and the Moon phase is 22%. Look later when the Moon is higher in the sky and still be close to Saturn. This is 2 days after the Moon is encountering Mars. The waning crescent Moon now passes Antares and appears close to Saturn. The Moon will continue to move on toward both Mercury and Venus on the 6th. Look for the Earthshine on the Moon a little later at 6.30 am.
An Iridium flare appears at 5.34 am in the North East at about an altitude of 10° in the constellation Pegasus. A brighter flare appears at 5.44 am at about the same spot in the sky.
At 6.38 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins its eclipse.
Thursday 4 February
Daytime and hard to see. The Moon is in maximum libration South at 11.18 am. The South Pole is tipped into the Earths view.
ISS appears at 5.52 pm in the South South West. Culmination or highest point in the sky is at 5.56 pm in the South East and at an altitude of 11°. ISS disappears at 5.58 pm in the East South East at about 9° altitude. An orbit of ISS around the Earth takes about 90 minutes. ISS appears once more at 7.27 pm at the South West horizon. ISS disappears already after a few minutes at 7.31 pm in the South South West at an altitude of 22°.
Get your scope or binocular out and look for Jupiter. At 10.06 pm the Great Red Spot transits the giant planet. At 11.25 pm the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its shadow crossing and at 11.34 pm the Jupiter Moon Callisto begins its eclipse. But it is not yet over. More after midnight. At 0.57 am the Jupiter Moon Europa begins its transit, at 2.14 am the Jupiter Moon Europa ends its shadow. At 2.55 am the Jupiter Moon Callisto ends its eclipse. At 3.40 am the Jupiter Moon Europa ends its transit and at 3.56 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins its shadow crossing.
The Moon is in maximum libration West at 4.03 am. The Crater Grimaldi is tipped into the Earth's view. And at 4.33 am the Moon is in maximum declination South. This is the 3rd lowest Southernmost Moon position of the next 10 years. The former lower Southern Southernmost Moon position was on 18 October 2015. The next lower Southern Southernmost Moon position is on 3 March 2016.
Back to Jupiter. At 4.41 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins it transit. And at 6.12 am the Jupiter Moon Io ends its shadow crossing.
An Iridium flare appears at 6.39 am in the South East at an altitude of 13° in the constellation Scutum.
Just before Sun rise, at 7.10 am, look for the Moon and you might see its Earthshine. Sun rise is at 7.44 am in the East South East.
Friday 5 February
Today in 1962 the Sun, the Moon, and the five naked-eye visible planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) were in conjunction. Though not in a straight line along their orbital paths, as viewed in the sky, they were within 16 degrees of each other (meaning all appeared within a circle just 16 º across). This conjunction coincided with a total solar eclipse, which made viewing Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn possible for a brief period of time from a small stretch of Earth where the eclipse's shadow hit. The five naked-eye visible planets cluster together in the sky within a circle 25 degrees or less in diameter once every 57 years, on average. The next time in the 21st century that this will happen is 8 September 2040.
At 5.34 pm a rather bright Iridium flare appears in the West North West at an altitude of 18° in the constellation Vulpecula. Another flare appears at 6.09 pm in the South at an altitude of 41° in constellation Cetus.
ISS appears at 6.35 pm at the South West horizon. Culmination is at 6.40 pm in the South South East at an altitude of 27°. ISS disappears at only a minute after in the South East at an altitude of 25°. ISS appears again at 8.11 pm in the West South West and disappears shortly 8.13 pm at about 12° altitude.
After midnight, at 0.21 am the bright planet Venus is close to Pluto. They are only 1.1° separated. You will need a bigger telescope to see Pluto. Look in the morning once Venus is up above the horizon. At 4.37 am the planet Venus is close to the bright star called Albaldah. They are only 1° separated.
At 1.06 am the Jupiter Moon Io begins its eclipse. At 3.52 am the Great Red Spot will transit Jupiter. At 4.05 am the Jupiter Moon Io reappears of its occultation.
The Moon is close to the bright planet Venus at 6.40 am. They are about 6 lunar diameters separated. It is low on the horizon just before Sun set. The Moon phase is 7%. Look for this lunar crescent which is 55 hours before New Moon. The Moon rises at 5.53 am which is 110 minutes before the Sun. A few brighter stars are nearby the Moon. The star Rho1 Sgr is about 4 lunar diameters away and the star 43 Sgr is only about 2 lunar diameters away. At about 7.30 am, near Sun rise, the Moon is close to the small planet Mercury. The separation is 9 lunar diameters. Give it a go and try to watch all visible planets in the morning.
A rather bright Iridium flare appears at 6.42 am in the South East at an altitude of 16° in the constellation Scutum. Another bright flare appears a minute after at 6.43 am in about the same spot in the sky. Have a look.
Saturday 6 February
Today in 1971 Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard took a few shots at some golf balls while on the Moon. Near the end of the 2nd Moon walk, and just before entering the lunar module for the last time, Shepard, an avid golfer, attached a 6-iron golf club to the end of a sample collecting tool. Despite thick gloves and a stiff suit that forced him to swing the club with one hand only, he hit two golf balls. The first landed in a nearby crater. The second was hit squarely, and in the one-sixth gravity of the Moon, Shepard said it travelled “miles and miles and miles.” Then the US Apollo IV astronauts prepared to head back to Earth after a 33-hour stay on the Moon. The golf club is on display at the US Golf Association headquarters in Far Hills, New Jersey.
ISS appears at 5.42 pm at the South South West horizon. Culmination is at 5.47 pm in the South South East at an altitude of 19°. ISS disappears at 5.50 pm in the East at an altitude of 9°. Another ISS pass. ISS appears at 7.18 pm at the West South West horizon. ISS disappears in the Earth's shadow already after a few minutes at 7.23 pm in the South South West at 42° altitude.
Jupiter time! At 10.25 pm and the Jupiter Moon Io begins it shadow crossing. At 10.29 pm the Jupiter Moon Europa reappears from its occultation. At 11.07 pm the Jupiter Moon Io begins its transit. The Great Red Spot transits the giant planet at 11.44 pm. At 0.40 am the Jupiter Moon Io ends its shadow and at 1.21 am the actual transit ends of the Jupiter Moon Io.
The small planet Mercury reaches 26° Western elongation at 5 am. About the best time to see all 5 visible planets in the morning! Have you tried? Have you spotted the bright Venus 4.3° South of the Moon before Sun rise? The lunar crescent is visible, 31 hours before New Moon. The Moon is 2.4% illuminated and Moon rises at 6.37 am, 64 minutes before the Sun.
Sunday 7 February
A rather bright Iridium flare appears at 5.04 pm in the West at an altitude of 24° in the constellation Vulpecula.
ISS appears at 6.26 pm at the West South West horizon. Culmination is at 6.31 pm in the South South East at an altitude of 41°. ISS disappears at 6.32 pm in the East South East at 26° high.
Another Iridium flare appears at 7.44 pm in the East South East at an altitude of 68° in the constellation Auriga.
ISS appears once more, after one orbit at 8.02 pm in the Western horizon. Disappearance after 3 minutes at 8.05 pm in the West at 18° altitude.
The Jupiter Moon Io reappears from its occultation at 10.32 pm. And at 5.31 am the Great Red Spot is in transit on the giant planet Jupiter.
Monday 8 February
It is New Moon today at 2.39 pm.
A very bright Iridium flare appears at 4.58 pm in the West at an altitude of 24° in the constellation Vulpecula.
ISS appears at 5.33 pm in the South West horizon. Culmination is at 5.38 pm in the South South East at an altitude of 30°. ISS disappears at 5.42 pm in the East. ISS appears after one orbit at 7.09 pm in the West South West. ISS disappears already at 7.14 pm in the South at an altitude of 66°.
The Great Red Spot transits the giant planet Jupiter at 1.22 am.
Tuesday 9 February
The lunar crescent is visible at about 5.40 pm and is only 27.1 hours after New Moon. The Moon 1.8 % illuminated and the Moon sets at 6.35 pm, 90 minutes after the Sun. Close to the Moon, rather difficult as it is closer to the Sun, is the bright star called Lam Aqr. The star is about 12 lunar diameters distance from the lunar crescent.
An Iridium flare appears at 5.54 pm in the South at an altitude of 39° in the constellation Cetus.
ISS appears at 6.17 pm in the West South West horizon. Culmination is at 6.22 pm in the South South East at an altitude of 57°. ISS disappears just after at 6.24 pm in the East at 20° high.
A very bright and double Iridium flare appears with less than a half minute separation at the same spot in the sky. Look at 7.35 pm to the North North East at an altitude of 31° in the constellation Draco. The other flare appears nearly at the same location just half a minute later.
After one orbit and ISS appears again at 7.53 pm in the West. ISS disappears after a few minutes at 7.57 pm and at an altitude of 25°.
Get your scope out and watch the giant planet. At 9.13 pm the Great Red Spot is in transit on the planet. At 11.58 pm the Jupiter Moon Ganymede begins its shadow crossing and at 2.38 am its actual transit. The shadow crossing ends at 3.20 am and the actual transit ends at 5.43 am.
Wednesday 10 February
The International Space Station, called ISS, appears a few times tonight. You do not need a telescope or binocular. ISS is visible with the naked eye. It moves as a bright star through the night sky, quite slowly and easy to spot. The first appearance is at 5.24 pm in the West South West. ISS passes close to the Moon. The separation is less than a degree or less than 2 lunar diameters. The culmination or the highest point in the sky is at 5.30 pm in the South South East at about an altitude of 51°. ISS disappears at 5.33 pm in the East. The orbit of ISS around the Earth takes about 90 minutes. ISS appears again at 7.01 pm in the West. Culmination is at 7.06 pm in the South at an altitude of 75°. ISS disappears short after in the Earth's shadow at 7.06 pm in the South East at 71° high. One more orbit and ISS appears very short for a few minutes at 8.37 pm in the West. ISS disappears at 8.39 pm at about 8° altitude.
The Moon is at descending node today at 8.46 pm. Moon is as well in perigee. The distance is 227724 miles or 364358 km at 2.32 am.
You will need a small telescope or a good binocular to see the Jovian Moons and details on Jupiter. At 3 am the Great Red Spot is in transit on the giant planet. Can you spot?
A very bright Iridium flare appears in the South South East at an altitude of 24° at 6.29 am and in the constellation Ophiuchus. Iridium flares are satellites, like ISS, visible with the naked eye. The brightening or flare appears at the time and spot indicated. Good satellite spotting. Try it!
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