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Celestial Events

The Planets this Week

Mercury is presently too close to the sun and is not observable. The tiny planet passes behind the sun (superior conjunction) on February 7 and emerges in the evening sky after mid-month, low on the west-southwest horizon.
Venus is the brilliant Evening Star, easily seen above the west-southwest horizon right after sunset. The visibility of Venus continues to improve, as the dazzling planet appears higher with each passing evening, in an increasingly darker sky; Venus is now visible for more than three and a half hours after sunset. Notice how the gap between Venus and Jupiter is closing day to day. The thin crescent moon will make a stunning pair with Venus on the evening of February 25.
Mars rises around 8:00 p.m. above the eastern horizon, and culminates high in the south around 2:00 a.m. The brightness of the Red Planet is now remarkably bright, as it nears its opposition in early March. The waning gibbous moon will be near Mars on the night of February 9 to 10.
Jupiter appears high in the southwest as soon as the sky darkens after sunset. The giant planet is already at its ideal position for observation at nightfall; so don't wait any longer to point your telescope in its direction. Jupiter sets in the west around midnight. Notice how the separation between Jupiter and Venus rapidly diminishes from one evening to the next. The first quarter moon will be near the bright planet on the evening of February 26.
Saturn rises above the east-southeast horizon around 11:00 p.m., and culminates in the south around 4:00 a.m. The ringed planet is currently near bright star Spica, in the constellation Virgo: the waning gibbous moon joins this celestial pair on the night of February 11 to 12.

Past Astronomical Events

Eclipses, conjunctions,
meteor showers...
Find out "What's Up:"
read The Pocket Planetarium,
our seasonal
astronomical newsletter!

The August "Mars Hoax" is back for another round! (2011)
- See http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/25aug_marshoax/
- See also http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- And http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090826-mars-hoax-full-moon-email.html
The Perseids, August 2011: see our special report.
Partial Solar Eclipse, June 1, 2011: see our special report.
Total Lunar Eclipse, December 21, 2010: see The Pocket Planetarium (476K PDF document) and the Monthly Sky for December 2010.
Don't fall for the August "Mars Hoax"! (2010)
- See http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2010/25aug_marshoax/
- See also http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- And http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090826-mars-hoax-full-moon-email.html
The Perseids, August 2010: see our special report
The Perseids, August 2009: see our special report.
The August "Mars Hoax" Returns! (2009)
- See http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- See also http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/08/090826-mars-hoax-full-moon-email.html
The August "Mars Hoax" Strikes Again! (2008)
- See http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- See also http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
The Perseids, August 2008: see our special report.
Total Lunar Eclipse, February 20, 2008: see The Pocket Planetarium (570K PDF document)
Comet Holmes in outburst: see our special report.
Beware! The August "Mars Hoax" is Back!
- See http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
- See also http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
The Perseids, August 2007: see our special report.
Total Lunar Eclipse, March 3, 2007: see The Pocket Planetarium (501K PDF document)
Transit of Mercury, November 8, 2006: see our special report.
Mars "as large as the full moon:" Beware of the hoax!
- See http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm
- See also http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
The Perseids, August 2006: see our special report.
Moon occults the Pleiades, early evening, April 1st: see The Pocket Planetarium (503K PDF document)
The Perseids, August 2005: see our special report.
See Comet Machholz in the Evening Sky:
- see The Pocket Planetarium (456K PDF document)
- see also article by Sky and Telescope and "Le ciel du mois de janvier" (in French)
Geminid meteor shower peaks Monday evening December 13: see article on Science@NASA
Moon occults Jupiter, early morning, December 7: see The Pocket Planetarium (558K PDF document)
Venus and Jupiter meet in the morning sky, November 5: see The Pocket Planetarium (558K PDF document)
Total Lunar Eclipse, October 27-28, 2004: see The Pocket Planetarium (558K PDF document)
The Perseids, August 2004: see The Pocket Planetarium (529K PDF document)
Transit of Venus, June 8, 2004: see our special report or The Pocket Planetarium (576K PDF document)
Total Lunar Eclipse, November 8, 2003: see The Pocket Planetarium (410K PDF document)
The Perseids, August 2003: see The Pocket Planetarium (505K PDF document)
Mars at Opposition, August 28, 2003: see The Pocket Planetarium (505K PDF document)
Total Lunar Eclipse, May 15, 2003: see The Pocket Planetarium (451K PDF document)

Credits. Last Modified: 2012-02-06