The moon is midway between new and first quarter as February begins, with Mars just two degrees above it Feb. 1. The dwarf planet Ceres is occulted on the evening Feb. 2 for viewers in northern Canada and Alaska.
As happens often during 2017, Feb. 5 an occultation of Aldebaran in Taurus is visible in Central and South America, and parts of the Eastern Hemisphere. The moon is full Feb. 11, marking another occultation, for the far south, of the star Regulus.
A penumbral eclipse occurs on this date, but North America is entirely missed. These occultations are close grazes for other viewers. Feb. 15, Jupiter snuggles up to Luna in the early eastern dawn. Likewise, Feb. 20, Saturn is about four degrees away.
And, as would be expected, two weeks after a lunar eclipse, a solar eclipse occurs Feb. 26, when the moon comes between the Earth and the sun. This one is in some of the most uninhabited areas on Earth – the eastern South Pacific, southern South America, the southern Atlantic and ending in Africa.
Mercury is seen in the eastern morning sky throughout most of the month, until it rounds close to the sun and gets lost in its glare. Better viewing for the Southern Hemisphere than the north.
Venus continues as the bright spotlight in the southern sky before sundown, brightening to its greatest illuminated extent Feb. 17. As it gains on the Earth, a telescopic view shows it as a thin crescent, but very bright.
Mars shares the stage with Venus throughout the entire month, just to the left of the bright planet. Venus gradually moves away from the ruddy Mars is it speeds through its orbit.
Jupiter rises in the east around midnight and crosses the sky until dawn’s light obliterates the gas giant. Jupiter begins retrograde motion, appearing to move westward against the starry background, caused by the Earth moving more quickly in its orbit – a difficult concept for ancient astronomers who thought the Earth was the centre of the universe. Watch for the nearby moon Feb. 15.
Saturn has been drawing away from the sun during January, now rising in the southeast a couple of hours before sunrise. Watch for the moon close by Feb. 20 as noted above.
Uranus is low in the west, following Mars and Venus as they set. The three objects are within a binocular view in the days surrounding Febr. 25, the closest approach.
Neptune is so close to the sun as to be invisible through the entire month.
The Zodiacal Light is visible in the western evening sky for the last two weeks of February.
— James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000 and is now the society’s past-president, editor of the Observer’s Handbook and production manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal. The IAU named asteroid 1995 XC5 “(22421) Jamesedgar” in his honour.
