Sky Data

Wednesday February first, sunrise is at 7:06 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. That evening the sun, located in the constellation Capricornus, sets at 5:13 p.m.

Civil twilight precedes sunrise and follows sunset by about one half hour. During darker segments of this period objects above the horizon such as the moon, bright planets, and several of the brightest stars may be seen.

At midmonth, Wednesday February 15th, sunrise is at 6:50 a.m.—sunset occurs that day at 5:30.

On the last day of the month Wednesday February 29th, the sun is in Aquarius rising at 6:30 a.m. and setting at 5:46 that evening. During January the length of time the sun is above the horizon each day increases by one hour and nine minutes.

In February average overnight temperatures recorded in Central Park rise from 24 degrees Fahrenheit on the first of the month, to 29 degrees on the 29th.

Principal Phases of the Moon are:

Sky Cast

On Wednesday February 1st, Mercury rises just one minute before the sun, too close for viewing.

The evening sky this month features Venus, dazzling bright at visual magnitude -4.1. At the start of February it is between the constellations Aquarius and Pisces, high in the southwest during twilight, setting at 8:34 p.m. Jupiter is now in the same field of view as Venus, 40 degrees of arc east of the brighter planet on February first. Jupiter is very bright with magnitude -2.4, at the border between Pisces and Aries. The big planet sets four minutes before midnight on Wednesday the first. During February, Venus and Jupiter appear to approach each other and at month’s end are separated by just 12 degrees of arc.

This year February nights provide good opportunities to watching intriguing activity involving Galilean moons of Jupiter as well as the gradual progression of Venusian phases revealed by a telescope.

On the evening of February 1, Mars rises at 8:22 p.m. with a visual magnitude of -0.6. At the start of the month Mars is in Virgo, just east of that constellation’s border with Leo. Saturn is also in Virgo, shining with magnitude +0.6, and rises at 11:30 p.m. That night the waxing gibbous moon is in Taurus between the Pleiades and Hyades open star clusters.

Tuesday February 7 the Full Moon is situated in the constellation Leo, near first magnitude star Regulus.

Thursday February 9 the waning gibbous moon is about ten degrees south of Mars. Ten degrees of arc is equivalent to the apparent width of your fist seen with an arm fully extended.

Over the nights of Sunday and Monday February 12 and 13th, the moon is near Saturn and first magnitude star Spica in the constellation Virgo.

At nine p.m. February 15, Sirius the brightest star of night is at the meridian marking division between eastern and western parts of the sky. This line also indicates highest altitude above the horizon reached by a celestial object during its traverse from eastern to western horizon.

Sirius is an ordinary star in the midst of its period of existence. With a magnitude of -1.4. It appears bright to us not because of exceptional luminosity but because, at a distance of 8.6 light-years, it is one of the closest stars to the solar system. The Little Dog star, Procyon, is also an average star that appears quite bright with magnitude 0.4 due to its relatively close distance of 11 light years. By comparison Aludra, a supergiant star seen near Sirius in Canis Major, is extraordinarily luminous. Although it has a modest visual magnitude of just 2.5, it is remarkable that we can see it at all, because at a range of 3,200 light years from earth, Aludra is one of the most distant stars visible to unaided eyes.

Wednesday the 15th, a wide waning crescent moon is in Scorpius, near the first magnitude red supergiant star Antares. The surrounding region is one of the richest star fields in our sky.

The early morning of February 17 the lunar crescent is in Sagittarius, near a direction toward the center of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Over the course of several evenings from Friday February 24 through Tuesday the 28th, the waxing crescent moon may be seen to approach, and then pass both Venus and Jupiter. These configurations of moon and planets almost certainly catch the eye of anyone looking at the southwestern sky after sunset. Less than three degrees of arc separate moon and Venus on the evening of the 25th then Jupiter is about four degrees from the moon on the night of February 26.

The evening of February 29, Mars rises at 5:52 p.m. Venus sets at 9:31, Saturn rises at 9:37, and Jupiter sets at 10:27 p.m.

Sky Lore

Wednesday the 29th, the First Quarter moon is in the midst of stars marking the mythical face of Taurus the Bull. This feature is represented by a "V" shaped asterism mostly formed by members of the Hyades open star cluster. First magnitude star Aldebaran marks an eye of Taurus’s face, but, at a distance from us of 65 light years, compared with about 140 light years for the center of Hyades cluster stars, Aldebaran is not a physical part of the open cluster.

Before satellite observations were able to extend accurate stellar distance measurement out to about 500 light-years from the Solar System, the Hyades served astronomers as an important link in the celestial distance scale. Observations of Hyades stars that moved through space toward an apparent vanishing point allowed estimates of their collective distances and, by extension, distances to more remote open star clusters. Historic distance estimates for the Hyades averaged about 140 light-years, a number substantially confirmed by more precise parallax determinations made since the early 1990's through use of satellite observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope and the Hipparchos orbiting observatory.

Stars of the constellation Taurus have traditionally represented the magnificent Bull that in classical myths was a form taken by Zeus when seeking to attract lovely young Europa. In this story Europa was induced to ride on Taurus’s back. Once she was aboard, the Bull plunged into the Aegean Sea and swam off with the young woman. In keeping with this tale, the constellation figure of Taurus is represented in the sky missing its submerged parts.

Taurus is part of a stellar tableau centered on the magnificent constellation Orion, the Hunter. His figure is usually depicted with sword and shield raised against the charging Bull. Orion is accompanied by faithful dogs, represented by stars of Canis Major and Canis Minor, each highlighted by respective dog stars Sirius and Procyon.

Orion is said to have been reared as a prince in the Greek district of Boeotia. His birth had been a gift from Zeus to that realm’s previously childless king. It was a reward for hospitality extended by the king to strangers passing through his realm—actually several Olympian gods including Zeus travelling incognito.

Despite his great size, Orion is said to have been slain by an arrow from his lover Diana, goddess of the moon and hunt. Legends tell that the sun god, her brother Apollo, felt she had neglected lunar duties due to the involvement with Orion. She was tricked into unknowingly targeting the hunter to demonstrate her prowess with bow and arrow.

Sky Data

Sunday New Year’s Day, sunrise is at 7:20 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. That evening the sun sets at 4:39 p.m.

Civil twilight is a period when the sun’s disk is less than six degrees of arc from the horizon. It precedes sunrise and follows sunset by about one half hour. During these times, it is usually possible to read outdoors without the benefit of artificial light. However, only the brightest celestial objects may be visible during civil twilight.

Sunrise is at 7:18 a.m. Sunday January 15, and sunset occurs at 4:52.

On the last day of the month Tuesday January 31, sunrise is at 7:07 with sunset at 5:11 p.m. The sun is then located in Capricornus. During January, the length of time the sun is above the horizon each day increases by 45 minutes.

In January average overnight temperatures recorded near Belvedere Castle in Central Park drop slightly from 27 degrees Fahrenheit on the first of the month, to 26 degrees on the 31st. On that day the sun is in the constellation Capricornus.

Principal Phases of the Moon this month are:

This month there will be two occasions when the moon is at its first quarter phase. Perhaps the lunar event on January 30 might then be called a “Blue First Quarter Moon”. (See last month’s Sky Reporter for a reminder why first and last quarter lunar phases look like “Half Moons” when seen in the sky.)

On Wednesday January 4, at 8 p.m., the Earth reaches perihelion, when we are at the year’s minimum distance from the sun, about 91,376,000 miles.

Sky Cast

At 6 a.m. the morning of New Year’s Day, Mars is quite bright at magnitude 0.2, near the meridian in the constellation Leo. Saturn has magnitude 0.7 in Virgo, and is high in the southeast. At that time, Mercury has just risen in Ophiuchus with magnitude minus 0.4.

At 5 p.m. the evening of January first, the first quarter moon is in Pisces, 13 degrees of arc to the upper right of Jupiter as you face southeast. Jupiter, at magnitude minus 2.6, clearly outshines bright stars of winter evenings such as Sirius and Rigel.

However during January even Jupiter yields visual primacy to Venus, currently brilliant above the southwest horizon at magnitude minus 4.0. On January first, Venus sets three hours and 17 minutes after the sun.

Monday January 2 the moon is just four degrees of arc from Jupiter. If you have never pointed out the solar system’s largest planet to a friend or relation, this is a perfect night to do so, if the sky is clear.

Monday the 9th, the Full Wolf Moon is located near twin stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini and the bright star Procyon in the constellation of the Little Dog, Canis Minor.

During early mornings of January 13 and 14 the waning gibbous moon is 10 degrees south of Mars. On Monday, the 16th, the Last Quarter moon is in Virgo, forming a small triangle with nearby Saturn and first magnitude star Spica.

During twilight and early evenings of Wednesday January 25 and Thursday the 26th the crescent moon might be seen part of a beautiful configuration with Venus in our southwestern sky. We may also notice that the apparent distance between Venus and Jupiter is diminishing week to week. In March both planets will form a magnificent pair that will be joined for several nights by that month’s crescent moon.

On Sunday and Monday January 29 and 30 the moon moves pass Jupiter, flanking the big planet at an apparent distance of about six degrees each night.

At the end of January Venus, with magnitude minus 4.1, sets at 8:31 p.m., three hours and 20 minutes after the sun.

The evening of January 31 Mars rises at 8:27 p.m. Saturn rises at 11:33 p.m. and Jupiter sets at midnight.

Sky Lore

Late last month NASA scientists announced the Kepler space observatory had discovered two Earth sized planets, designated Kepler 20e and Kepler 20f. Kepler is searching an area of sky near bright stars Deneb and Vega. Although we usually consider these objects typical features of summer skies, they remain visible above our northwest horizon for some time after twilight fades during January evenings.

On New Year's Eve, about six minutes before midnight, when the ball is almost ready to drop at Times Square, Sirius the brightest star in our night sky, reaches its highest altitude of the night as it crosses the celestial meridian. Clearly, gloves, hat, and warm clothing contribute to stargazing pleasures this month.

Aside from frosty temperatures, January is a good month to enjoy celestial views. An exceptional set of bright stars centered on the constellation Orion graces our evening sky. In addition, Venus now dominates in the southwestern direction for several hours after sunset.

Informal groupings of stars known as asterisms, including those forming the Belt of Orion, the Twins of Gemini, and the celestial Winter Oval are, during winter, viewed through atmosphere comparatively low in thermal energy. This air is less able to suspend dust and droplets of moisture more common in warmer months. This condition results in greater transparency and relatively darker skies through which we may better perceive stars.

Throughout evenings of January brilliant winter stars are on display across our southern sky. Around midnight, nearly directly overhead, we may see the star Capella, shining with magnitude zero. The great asterism known as the Winter Oval can be traced, starting with Capella and ranging clockwise to Aldebaran in Taurus, Rigel in Orion, Sirius in Canis Major, at magnitude -1.4 the brightest star in our night sky, then Procyon in Canis Minor, and finally to twin stars, Castor and Pollux of Gemini, pointing us back to Capella.

Sky Data

Thursday December 1st, civil twilight begins at 6:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and sunrise is at 7:00 a.m. That evening the sun, located in the constellation Ophiuchus, sets at 4:29 p.m. civil twilight concludes at 4:59.

Civil twilight starts at 6:41 a.m. and sunrise is at 7:12 on Thursday, December 15th. That day sunset occurs at 4:29, with civil twilight concluding at 5 p.m.

On the last day of the month, Saturday December 31st, civil twilight begins at 6:49 with sunrise at 7:20. Sunset is at 4:38 and civil twilight ends at 5:09.

During December average overnight temperatures recorded in Central Park drop from 36 degrees Fahrenheit on the first of the month, to 28 degrees on the 31st. On that day the Sun is located in the constellation Sagittarius.

Principal Phases of the Moon this month are:

Winter begins in the northern hemisphere at 12:30 a.m. the early morning of December 22nd. That time the sun is directly above a point in the Indian Ocean, 1,300 miles west north-west of Perth Australia and 1,330 miles south south-west of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Sky Cast

At the conclusion of civil twilight the evening of December 1st, Mercury has just set and the nearly First Quarter moon is half way between horizon and zenith in the southern sky. Venus is ten degrees of arc above the southwestern horizon and sets at 6:14 p.m. Jupiter is towards the east, 27 degrees above the horizon, at the border between constellations Pisces and Aries. Mars rises in Leo at 11:24 p.m. Saturn is Virgo, rising at 3:19 during the morning of December 2nd.

In early evenings at the start of December comet Garradd remains in Hercules, low in the western sky. Its softly diffused 6th magnitude glow is visible with low magnification telescopic eyepieces under a dark sky, but does not provide contrast with milky appearing skies over urban areas.

The evenings of Monday and Tuesday December 5th and 6th the bright gibbous moon is in the neighborhood of Jupiter, still extraordinarily bright at magnitude minus 2.8.

On the night of Saturday the 10th the Full Moon is located in Taurus, among bright stars and constellations typical of winter evenings. During December the Full Moon is above the horizon longer than at other times of the year, and it crosses the meridian at a higher altitude.

During early morning Saturday December 17th the Last Quarter moon may be seen nine degrees of arc south of Mars. The Red Planet then has magnitude 0.5, equivalent to some of the brightest stars in our sky.

On December 20th the waning crescent moon’s disk is about 23% illuminated by sunlight as seen from Earth. The lunar crescent is then about eight degrees south of Saturn.

You might ask if the moon’s Last Quarter phase occurred three days earlier, on Saturday the 17th, why does the moon’s disk appears nearly one-quarter illuminated on Tuesday the 20th. This is because what we call “Last Quarter” phase occurs when the moon starts the last quarter of its phase cycle, from one New Moon to the next. The designation Last Quarter doesn’t indicate the percentage of lunar surface seen illuminated by sunlight.

At about 6:45 the morning of Thursday December 22nd a thin crescent moon might be seen in the southeast, nine degrees of arc to the upper right of Mercury shining at magnitude minus 0.34, and 10 degrees above first magnitude Antares, brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.

About five p.m. at the end of civil twilight December 26th the very thin (6% illuminated) waxing crescent moon is eight degrees of arc to the right of brilliant Venus. At that time both are 20 degrees of arc above the southwestern horizon. The next evening a wider lunar crescent is nine degrees above Venus as twilight ends.

On New Year’s Eve at five p.m., Venus is well above the horizon at an altitude of 20 degrees. It has its usual brilliance with a magnitude of minus four, and sets at 7:19 p.m.

As we are preparing to welcome the year 2012 on the evening of December 31st, Mars rises at 10:17 p.m. Later, as many are heading home after the night’s celebrations, Saturn rises at 1:34 a.m. and Jupiter sets at 1:53 a.m.

Sky Lore

With the advent of the holiday season, magnificent stars in and around the constellation Orion are well placed for evening viewing. The brightest members of this celestial congregation include Betelgeuse and Rigel in Orion, the Hunter; Aldebaran in Taurus, the Bull; Capella in Auriga, the Charioteer; Procyon in Canis Minor, the Little Dog; and the most brilliant star in our entire night sky, Sirius in the constellation of the Large Dog, Canis Major.

This array is placed conveniently above the eastern and southern horizons by 10 p.m. at the start of December and by eight p.m. at month’s end.

Each of these extraordinary stars catch our attention, and the pattern of three second magnitude, nearly equally spaced stars along a line tracing the mythological “Belt of Orion, is an unmistakable sky feature at this time of the year. Once you notice these three, nearby Betelgeuse just to their northeast and Rigel to the southwest help orient our views to bright stars in neighboring constellations. For example, follow the line of the Belt stars to the northwest toward first magnitude Aldebaran. Look along the Belt to the southeast and you arrive at Sirius. A line from Sirius through Betelgeuse aims your gaze toward Capella. The view from Rigel toward Betelgeuse helps identify Castor and Pollux, brightest stars in Gemini.

Orion was depicted in classical mythology as a great Hunter, whose stellar representation is poised ready to ward off the charge of Taurus, while his two hunting dogs Canis Major and Canis Minor are arrayed nearby.