The Sky This Week from February 23 to March 1: Catch a chilly Full Snow Moon

Friday, February 23
A Full Moon rises reverse the setting Solar this night, driving into the sky beneath the physique of Leo the Lion. Luna sits inside 3° of the lion’s shiny coronary heart, Regulus, a 1st-magnitude star that lies near the ecliptic airplane that the Moon and planets comply with by our sky. The truth is, the Moon typically occults, or passes in entrance of, Regulus, although the alignment isn’t proper this month.

Within the south after sundown is Canis Main, its alpha star Sirius unmistakable. That is the brightest star within the sky, shining at magnitude –1.4. About 10° east-southeast of this luminary is our goal for tonight: a seemingly innocuous star labeled merely as 145 Canis Majoris. Zoom in with some optics and also you’ll uncover a deal with: It’s not one star, however two, with contrasting colours of orange-yellow and blue-white. 145 Cma is typically known as the Winter Albireo, for its resemblance to an identical contrasting-color binary in Cygnus the Swan (the unique Albireo) that’s seen within the summertime night time sky. Astronomy contributor Phil Harrington says he’s cut up the pair with 16×70 binoculars, or a telescope of any dimension will do the trick.  

Dawn: 6:42 A.M.
Sundown: 5:45 P.M.
Moonrise: 5:03 P.M.
Moonset: 6:38 A.M.
Moon Part: Waxing gibbous (99%)
*Instances for dawn, sundown, moonrise, and moonset are given in native time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. native time from the identical location.

Saturday, February 24
Full Moon formally happens at this morning at 7:30 A.M. EST. The February Full Moon is also referred to as the Snow Moon, given the chilly climate North America sometimes experiences right now of 12 months.

You could have heard of a Tremendous Moon, when Luna seems greater and brighter within the sky than common, however this month’s Full Moon is the other: a Micro Moon! The Moon is nearing its apogee, the farthest level from Earth in its orbit, which it’ll attain in simply over 24 hours. So, the Full Moon might seem only a bit smaller and dimmer than traditional. Nevertheless, the distinction might be arduous to note!

With the Moon nonetheless in Leo and rising within the east after darkish, let’s flip to the west, the place the constellation Auriga continues to be excessive within the sky. The Charioteer hosts a lot of beautiful star clusters, and tonight we’re homing in on M38, an open cluster also referred to as the Starfish Cluster.

You’ll discover M38 just below 10.5° south-southeast of the constellation’s brightest star, Capella. The open cluster spans about 21′ and shines at magnitude 7.4; it’s greatest seen with binoculars or a low-powered scope. Lower than 1.5° to its south is the Fifth-magnitude star Phi (ϕ) Aurigae. Phi is surrounded by IC 405, additionally known as the Flaming Star Nebula. This faint nebula is seen with a telescope underneath darkish skies, however Luna’s shiny gentle will probably wash it out even for bigger apertures at the moment. As an alternative, plan to return when the Moon is New for a greater probability at selecting up this glowing gasoline.

Dawn: 6:41 A.M.
Sundown: 5:46 P.M.
Moonrise: 6:03 P.M.  
Moonset: 7:02 A.M.
Moon Part: Full

Sunday, February 25
As talked about in yesterday’s entry, the Moon reaches apogee, the farthest level from Earth in its orbit, at 9:59 A.M. EST. At the moment, our satellite will sit some 252,470 miles (406,311 kilometers) away. Nonetheless roughly 99 p.c lit, the Moon will even seem Full for yet one more night time.

An hour after sundown, shiny Jupiter nonetheless stands some 50° excessive within the west. It’s the brightest object within the area, far outshining the celebrities on this a part of the sky. Jupiter sits in Aries the Ram, sharing the constellation with Uranus — which, at magnitude 5.8, is on the fringe of naked-eye visibility and higher picked up with binoculars or a telescope.

You’ll need that telescope tonight to catch a transit of Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede, because it passes in entrance of the gas giant’s south polar area. The transit begins round 8:30 P.M. EST, as Ganymede strikes onto the japanese limb. Io lies farther east, whereas Europa (nearer) and Callisto are to the planet’s west. Ganymede’s journey lasts roughly two hours, ending round 10:30 P.M. EST, when the planet could be very low for observers on the East Coast however extra readily seen for these farther west. The moon’s shadow gained’t seem for its personal crossing earlier than the planet has set forever zones within the continental U.S.

Dawn: 6:40 A.M.
Sundown: 5:47 P.M.
Moonrise: 7:03 P.M.
Moonset: 7:22 A.M.
Moon Part:

Moon Part: Waning gibbous (99%)

Monday, February 26
There’s a brief darkish window tonight once you could possibly catch Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, crusing by southwestern Andromeda low within the northwest. After the sky grows darkish however earlier than moonrise, swing your scope over to the Princess to search for the comet, just lately recorded round magnitude 7, some 7.3° southeast of magnitude 3.6 Omicron (ο) Andromedae.

Via the eyepiece of your telescope, the comet will appear to be a small, spherical, white fuzzball. Imagers could possibly choose up the inexperienced glow of its diatomic carbon. Pons-Brooks is now about 1.7 astronomical items from Earth, or 158 million miles (254 million km). It can around the Solar, making its closest strategy of our star, in late April.

As a bonus, swing your scope about 6.2° due north of the comet this night to seek out NGC 7662, also referred to as the Blue Snowball. This planetary nebula additionally seems like a spherical, fuzzy ball — however this time, the blue hue for which it’s named may be seen. At magnitude 9, it’s a bit fainter than the comet, although the nebula’s small dimension of about 2′ helps to pay attention its gentle and higher convey out the colour.

Dawn: 6:38 A.M.
Sundown: 5:48 P.M.
Moonrise: 8:02 P.M.
Moonset: 7:42 A.M.
Moon Part: Waning gibbous (96%)

Tuesday, February 27
The constellation Scorpius lies due south an hour earlier than dawn, house to the attractive open star cluster M7, additionally known as Ptolemy’s Cluster or the Scorpion’s Tail. The latter identify ought to trace at its location, about 5° east-northeast of Shaula (Lambda [λ] Scorpii) and Lesath (Upsilon [υ] Scorpii), known as the stinger stars for his or her location on the tip of Scorpius’ curving tail.

The magnitude 3.3 cluster is seen to the bare eye underneath good, darkish situations, whereas binoculars and telescopes of any dimension will convey out myriad stars. Spanning roughly 80′, the younger group of stars comprises some 80 to 100 members, with many extra unrelated stars within the discipline of view, including to its richness.

Bounce simply 4° northwest of M7 and also you’ll land on a second open cluster, M6. Smaller (25′ throughout) and dimmer (magnitude 4.2), M6 is usually known as the Butterfly Cluster as a result of some observers suppose its stars taken collectively appear to be a butterfly with outstretched wings. Astronomers suppose M6 could also be associated to M7, however even when the 2 fashioned collectively, M6 is now a lot farther from Earth, about twice the space of M7.

Dawn: 6:37 A.M.
Sundown: 5:49 P.M.
Moonrise: 9:02 P.M.
Moonset: 8:01 A.M.
Moon Part: Waning gibbous (91%)

Wednesday, February 28
Mercury reaches superior conjunction at 4 A.M. EST, inserting it on the opposite aspect of the Solar from Earth and rendering it invisible. The solar system’s smallest planet will transfer into the night sky early subsequent month.

Saturn additionally reaches conjunction with the Solar 12 hours later, at 4 P.M. EST, and can seem within the morning sky by late March.

Now that the Moon is rising later, let’s return to Leo to look out the well-known Leo Trio, a bunch of three spiral galaxies about 7° west of Denebola, the 2nd-magnitude star that marks the Lion’s tail. The area is about 30° excessive inside three hours of sundown.

The Trio consists of M65, M66, and NGC 3628. The primary two lie roughly on an east-west line, with M66 to the east and M65 to the west. Each are roughly ninth magnitude and about 8′ throughout at their lengthy axis. NGC 3628 lies about 1° north of the pair. It’s about half a magnitude fainter and practically twice as lengthy, making it barely harder to identify. This can be why the primary two made Charles Messier’s lower, however the third galaxy was not found till just a few years later by William Herschel.

Dawn: 6:35 A.M.
Sundown: 5:51 P.M.
Moonrise: 10:02 P.M.
Moonset: 8:20 A.M.
Moon Part: Waning gibbous (85%)

Thursday, February 29
Right this moment is a leap day, including an “additional” day to the month of February to make up for the truth that the interval of Earth’s orbit doesn’t match the calendar 12 months precisely. It takes Earth about 365.25 days to circle the Solar, however our calendar solely has 12 months. So, each 4 years, that additional 0.25 day provides as much as a full day and we have fun a bissextile year. (Actuality is, as typically, slightly extra advanced than that — try this article for extra particulars on precisely how we account for the distinction!)

Following their conjunction final week, Mars and Venus have put some space between themselves and are actually about 3.4° aside within the morning sky. Step outdoors about half-hour earlier than dawn to catch them some 5° excessive within the east.

Venus is brighter at magnitude –3.9, an unmissable morning star. Mars is magnitude 1.2 and could also be a bit difficult within the rising twilight. Attempt utilizing binoculars or a telescope to seek out it, to the higher proper (west) of Venus within the sky. Via your optics, you might word that Venus is 11″ throughout and in a transparent gibbous phase, some 91 p.c lit. Mars is simply 4″ large and roughly full at 97 p.c lit. Above the pair, you might discover some brighter stars earlier than they wink out within the twilight. Altair lies immediately above the planetary pair, with Deneb to its far higher left and Vega to Deneb’s higher proper.

Ensure you put away any binoculars or telescopes a minimum of a number of minutes earlier than dawn at your location, which can differ barely from the time given beneath.

Dawn: 6:34 A.M.
Sundown: 5:52 P.M.
Moonrise: 11:05 P.M.
Moonset: 8:42 A.M.
Moon Part: Waning gibbous (77%)

Friday, March 1
Let’s catch a second comet this week! Comet C/2021 S3 (PanSTARRS) is for early risers; and, at magnitude 10, it’s fainter than Pons-Brooks. PanSTARRS is now in Serpens Cauda, rising within the southeast within the hour or two earlier than daybreak. Yow will discover it just below 3.5° southwest of magnitude 3.2 Alava, in a area that lies to the higher proper of the intense star Altair in Aquila the Eagle. In case you draw a line between Altair and Antares in Scorpius, PanSTARRS sits roughly midway between these two stars.

This entire area of the sky lies close to the airplane of the Milky Way. In case you’re fortunate sufficient to dwell in — or observe from — a very darkish location, you’ll probably see the mushy glow from quite a few stars in addition to the darkish swaths of dust that blanket the airplane of the galaxy. Observe that the waning Moon lies in Libra this morning, which can considerably wash out the light glow of the galactic airplane. Happily, the comet will stay on this a part of the sky as a superb early-morning goal, so you possibly can merely wait just a few days for the Moon to move by and take a look at for PanSTARRS — and the Milky Way — once more.

Dawn: 6:32 A.M.
Sundown: 5:53 P.M.
Moonrise: —
Moonset: 9:08 A.M.
Moon Part: Waning gibbous (69%)

Sky This Week is dropped at you partially by Celestron.