THE SOUTHWORTH PLANETARIUM
70 Falmouth Street      Portland, Maine 04103
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43.6667° N    70.2667° W  Altitude:  10 feet below sea level Founded
January 1970
2021-2022: LXXVII
                  "My brain, I believe, is the most beautiful part of my
body"
                                      -Shakira

THE DAILY ASTRONOMER
Thursday, February 3, 2022
February 2022 Night Sky Calendar Part II


*TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1: NEW MOON*
Start of lunation cycle 1226 and the beginning of the Chinese Year of the
Tiger.

*WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2: IMBOLC/GROUNDHOG'S DAY*
We're passing winter's midpoint today: the day that marks the midway point
between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox (11:32 a.m. on Sun,
March 20th.) The proper term is *cross-quarter day. *We experience four
such days each year:

   - Imbolc/Groundhog's Day Feb 2 Midway point between the winter solstice
   and vernal equinox
   - May Day/Beltane May 1 Midway point between the vernal equinox and
   summer solstice
   - Lammas Aug 1 Midway point between the summer solstice and autumnal
   equinox
   - Halloween/Samhain Oct 31 Midway point between the autumnal equinox and
   winter solstice


A hopeful sign for those beleaguered souls languishing under winter's
ice-fisted dominion: astronomical winter is now half-over. Oh, and enjoy
tomorrow's snow storm.

*THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3: MOON NEAR JUPITER (BRONZE EVENT!)*
Tonight one will see the waxing crescent moon (8% illuminated) close to
Jupiter in the western evening sky. Although both worlds will set before 7
p.m., one would be advised to find them both soon after sunset. Jupiter is
now slightly brighter than Sirius, the night sky's brightest star.

*FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4: SATURN AT CONJUNCTION*
Today, Saturn moves to the far side of the Sun relative to Earth.
Naturally, we won't be able to see Saturn currently owing to its proximity
to the Sun. We will watch for Saturn to return to the early morning sky by
late winter/early spring.
The sixth world will rise into greater prominence by late spring/early
summer and will next be at opposition on August 14, 2022.

*TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 8: FIRST QUARTER MOON*

*WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 9: VENUS AT MAXIMUM BRIGHTNESS* Heavens above! If you
have the opportunity, venture outside before dawn to behold that dazzling
spectacle of a planet Venus. When seen in the eastern morning sky, Venus is
known as the "morning star," And what a morning star it is! At magnitude
-4.7, the second world is twenty times brighter than Sirius!

*THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 10: MOON NEAR ALDEBARAN*

[image: HyadesLodriguss_labels.jpg]

Find the waxing gibbous moon (69% illuminated) "close" to Aldebaran, the
brightest star in Taurus the Bull. Aldebaran is one of the six bright stars
that are located close enough to the ecliptic so as to sometimes appear
close to the moon. The other stars are Regulus (Leo), Spica (Virgo) and
Antares (Scorpius).
Castor and Pollux (Gemini).

*SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13: MOON PASSES NEAR CASTOR AND POLLUX*
See the waxing gibbous moon (91% illuminated) appear to glide past Castor
and Pollux, the two brightest stars in the Gemini constellation. The moon
will pass to the south of both stars. Over the course of the night, one can
observe the moon first move "under" Castor and then "under" Pollux.
Remember that the moon appears to shift its position by half a degree every
hour: an apparent distance equal to its own angular diameter.

*WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16: FULL MOON*
The moon will be full at 11:56 a.m. on February 16th. For whatever reason,
February's full moon is often called the "Snow moon," or "Ice moon," or
"Lover's moon." As the snowpack is generally at its heaviest this time of
year, it is also known as the "Full Hunger moon."

Part III on Monday
Quiz tomorrow!




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