Archive for month: February, 2015

Focus Constellations: Draco, Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Perseus, Camelopardalis, Auriga, Taurus, Orion, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Lynx, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor

Comet Journal

Comet 88P/Howell (2015) is a dim 12th magnitude object in Sagittarius in the predawn southeastern sky that is projected to reach 8th magnitude as it nears its April perihelion in Aquarius.

Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) moves between Perseus and Andromeda in February, reaching Cassiopeia in mid-March. Currently at 5th magnitude, it dims to 6th magnitude by the end of February and to 7th magnitude in March. It was closest to Earth on January 7th when it was at 4th magnitude. It was closest to the Sun (perihelion) on the 30th and will rise higher in northern skies, ascending above the plane of the solar system on its 5000-year return journey to the Oort Belt.

Mars Landers

In January, Opportunity continued southward along the western edge of Endeavour Crater, the huge 22 kilometer diameter impact crater formed early in Martian history 3 to 4 billion years ago. Crater rocks have provided environmental information about that era indicating Mars was once warmer and wetter – more like Earth is today. The current journey to Marathon Valley may provide more supporting evidence. Satellites previously imaging the valley discovered spectral signatures of clay minerals which typically contain abundant water and may retain molecules resulting from organic processes. The intense clay mineral signatures exceed that found elsewhere on Mars and are one of the primary reasons that the rover embarked on the journey along the western edge of the crater to the valley in early 2013.

Opportunity visited Cape Tribulation where a magnificent panorama of the crater was produced from imaging at the peak of the cape and by month’s end the rover was closing in on the odd Spirit of St. Louis Crater partially blocking the entrance to the northeastward trending Marathon Valley. The gently sloping valley cuts the edge and descends into Endeavour Crater and may allow better access to the crater than the cliffs lining its western edge.

Flash memory issues recently plaguing the rover caused unwanted multiple system reboots. The rest of Opportunity is fine, handicapped only by a broken shoulder and arthritic wheel which have not succeeded in stopping it from plunging onward. This good condition led Mission scientists to conclude that a long term strategy to mask off the troubled sector of Flash and use the balance of the Flash file system was appropriate. The strategy will be implemented this month and will involve upgrading of the flight software and subsequent reformatting of the Flash system. Solar energy is averaging between 400 and 530 watt hours per day. Total odometry on Mars for the rover is 26.02 miles (41.88 kilometers).

Curiosity devoted the interval since arrival at Mt. Sharp in September to examination of the basal Murray Formation at Pahrump Hills. The rock layers were studied at sites designated from bottom to top as Confidence Hills, Pink Cliffs, Book Cliffs, Alexander Hills, Gilbert Peak, Chinle, Whale Rock, and Salsberry Peak. After conducting a “walkabout” of the sites to gather initial impressions the rover returned to Confidence Hills to repeat the sequence for detailed observations. These observations were completed in early January and Curiosity returned to the lower part of the Murray Formation to a drilling target called Mojave at the Pink Cliffs site. The drilling project was still in progress as of January 31st.

Meteor Showers

The minor Alpha Centaurid meteor shower on February 8th is confined to southern hemisphere skies where it has been observed for the last 50 years.

Bright Stars

The Solar System is between two giant spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy. We peer through the Sagittarius Arm with radio waves to see a colossal black hole at the galaxy center and look outward to see Perseus Arm components. Between arms our so called Local Arm has been resolved into clumps of gas, dust, and bright, young stars. The clumps appear to make up a disk shape called Gould’s Belt which is tilted to with reference to the galactic plane and dipping away from the center. The Orion constellation is in the direction of the the disk edge which dips below the Perseid Arm. The constellation of Scorpius is in the direction where the disk is above the Sagittarius Arm. The Solar System is within the disk, located slightly closer to the Sagittarius Arm. (see: http://www.handprint.com/ASTRO/galaxy.html)

The disk may have resulted when a large molecular cloud collided with the Milky Way some 30 to 60 million years ago, compressing and intermingling with the rarified gas and dust between spiral arms. This may have generated a period of star birth as the cloud impact increased interstellar gas and dust density and created pockets susceptible to gravitational collapse. The most massive stars formed first. They rapidly moved through and completed their life cycles because massive stars burn their candles at both ends due to gravitational compression that generates higher temperatures and densities in their cores. This promotes extreme rates of nuclear fusion, short lives, and supernovae star deaths. This may explain the excessive number of supernovae in the last 60 million years in this region. Gravitational collapse of the resulting high-density naked star cores could have produced the large numbers of neutron stars and/or black holes found locally.

Each northern hemisphere winter the Earth turns its nighttime face outward toward Orion providing a view replete with the brightest stars of the year. First magnitude stars which lie in or near the belt include Sirius and Procyon in Canis Major and Canis Minor respectively, Betelgeuse and Rigel in Orion, and Capella/Aldebaren in Auriga/Taurus. Cool (cold?) clear nights with a transparent atmosphere and without light pollution offer a stunning evening sky scintillating with sparkling bright lights. 1st magnitude stars not in Gould’s Belt such as Pollux in Gemini and Arcturus in Bootes and the bright planets of February such as Venus and Jupiter add to the spectacular display.

Gould’s Belt also lights up summer skies with almost as many bright stars including Vega, Deneb, and Altair in the Summer Triangle, Antares in Scorpius, and 4 more confined to southern hemisphere skies.

Planet Plotting

Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune are evening planets in February. Venus (-3.9) and Mars (+1.2 to +1.3) are low in the western sky after sunset and move from Aquarius into Pisces as the month progresses. On the 1st Venus is lower than Mars and by month’s end moves above the red planet. The two form a superb pairing with the adjacent 2 day old waxing Crescent Moon when they are within 0.5° of one another on the 20th. Distant Mars pales in comparison to brilliant Venus. On the 1st, Neptune (8.0) is less than 0.8° from Venus but very hard to see in the twilight sky. They rapidly separate as Venus approaches Uranus (5.9) in Pisces and Neptune descends into the glow of sunset as it approaches its conjunction with the Sun on the 25th. Jupiter (-2.4 to -2.6) reaches opposition with the Sun on the 6th when it rises at sunset and sets at sunrise providing its most brilliant annual apparition throughout the night.

Mercury (+4.7 to 0.0) is the morning planet rising in the east in Capricornus in the last three weeks of February. On the 24th it reaches maximum western elongation 27° from the Sun but will be difficult for observers in mid-northern latitudes to see due to its proximity to the dawn horizon.

Planet……Constellation……Magnitude……Planet Passages

Sun…Capricornus, Aquarius..-26.8……………New Moon, ………………………………………………………2/18, 6:47PM EST Mercury..Capricornus………….+4.7 to 0.0 …………………………………………………..Max West Elongation …………………………………………………………2/24, 11AM EST Venus…..Aquarius, Pisces……-3.9
…………………………………………………..Neptune, 0.8°N. …………………………………………………………2/1, 6AM EST
…………………………………………………..Mars, 0.5°N. …………………………………………………………2/21, 3PM EST
Mars……..Aquarius, Pisces..+1.2 to +1.3
……………………………………………………Venus, 0.5°S. …………………………………………………………2/21, 3PM EST Jupiter…..Cancer………….-2.6 to -2.5……..Opposition …………………………………………………………2/6, 1PM EST
Saturn…..Scorpius…………….+0.5
Uranus….Pisces………………..+5.9
Neptune…Aquarius…………..+8.0
…………………………………………………Solar Conjunction …………………………………………………………2/25, Midnight EST
…………………………………………………Venus, 0.8°S. …………………………………………………………2/1, 6AM EST

February Moon

Lunation 1139 started with the New Moon of January on the 20th at 8:14 AM EST. It will end 29.44 days later with the New Moon of February at 6:47PM EST on the 18th.

The Full Moon in February at 6:09AM EST on the 3rd is in Cancer which is just above the neck of the Native American constellation of the Great Lynx or Panther (Mishi bizhiw). The Great Lynx is close to the right hand of the Anishnaabe constellation “Beboonkeonini” (Wintermaker), centered on modern day Orion. Mishi bizhiw were believed to be powerful underworld monsters native to Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior who protected Great Lakes waters and vast metal resources. Ojibwe people traditionally held them to be huge cats covered with scales with spikes on their backs and on their long serpentine tails. They were masters of all water creatures, including snakes. Mishi bizhiw were considered to cause Great Lake storms and were the underwater equivalents and adversaries of the Thunderbirds who ruled the air.

The February Full Moon is the “Moon after Yule” or “Old Moon.” Colonial Americans called it the “Trapper’s Moon”, Celts called it the “Moon of Ice”, and Medieval English referred to it as the “Storm Moon.” Chinese call it the “Budding Moon” and Anishnaabe (Odawa and Ojibwe) of northern Michigan call it “Namebini-giizis” (Sucker Moon).

Apogee distance (maximum distance) is 252,370 miles (63.68 Earth Radii) from Earth on the 6th at 1:26AM EST. The Moon is nearest (perigee) in its orbit (221,826 miles or 55.97 Earth Radii) on February 19 at 2:28AM EST.

Planet..Constellation…….Magnitude……..Moon Passage
……………………………………………………Moon Phase/Age

Sun…Capricornus………-26.8………….6:47PM EST, 2/18 ……………………………………………………..New ~ 0 days Mercury..Capricornus….+0.1……….3.0°N, 1AM EST, 2/17 …………………………………………Waning Crescent ~ 27.70 days Venus…..Pisces………..-3.9………2.0°N, 8PM EST, 2/20 …………………………………………Waxing Crescent ~ 2.49 days
Mars…….Pisces…………+1.2……..1.5°N, 8PM EST, 2/20 ………………………………………….Waxing Crescent ~ 2.49 days Jupiter….Cancer………..-2.6……….5.0°S, 4AM EST, 2/4 ………………………………………….Waning Gibbous ~ 14.82 days Saturn….Scorpius………+0.5……….2.0°N, 7PM EST, 2/12 ………………………………………….Waning Crescent ~ 23.85 days Uranus….Pisces…………+5.9………0.3°N, 5PM EST, 2/21 …………………………………………..Waxing Crescent ~ 3.37 days Neptune..Aquarius……..+8.0……..3.6°NNW, 6AM EST, 2/19 …………………………………………..Waxing Crescent ~ 0.47 days