Astro News

Friday, February 24

Mercury is at greatest elongation, 18° east of the Sun in the evening
twilight. Mercury occults the star 14 Piscium for Australia.

Saturday, February 25

This is the time of year when Orion and Sirius shine at their highest
due south right after dusk.

Sunday, February 26

The red long-period variable star R Canis Minoris should be at maximum
light (8th magnitude) around now.

Monday, February 27

New Moon.

Tuesday, Feb. 28

In early twilight, use binoculars to look very low in the west for the
very thin crescent Moon near Mercury. The Moon will be only about 23 hours
old as seen from the US East Coast, and 26 hours old when twilight arrives
on the West Coast.

Jupiter passes just 3 arcminutes north of the 5th-magnitude star Nu Librae
this morning. The star will look like a fifth, out-of-place Jovian
satellite.

Wednesday, March 1

The crescent Moon is higher and easier to spot after sunset this evening,
providing a good landmark for locating little Mercury.

Thursday, March 2

As winter approaches its end, three big, springtime constellation-creatures
are climbing up out of winter hibernation, head-first, in the eastern sky
after
dark. These are Ursa Major the Great Bear in the northeast, Leo the Lion
in the east, and Hydra the Sea Serpent in the southeast.

This Week's Planet Roundup

Mercury (about magnitude 0 to +1) is dimming rapidly day by day. Look for it
low in the west during evening twilight early in the week.

Venus (magnitude -4.5) is in grand view during dawn; look for it in the
southeast.

Mars (magnitude +0.7) glows yellow-orange very high in the southwest at dusk
and lower in the west later in the evening. It's near the Pleiades and, to
its left,
slightly fainter Aldebaran.

Jupiter (magnitude -2.2) rises in the east-southeast around 11 or midnight.
By early dawn (an excellent time for telescopic planet viewing) it's shining
in
the south-southwest. Note the very wide double star Alpha Librae 3° or 4°
west of Jupiter.

Saturn (magnitude -0.1) passed opposition a month ago and now glows high
in the east in twilight. It's below Pollux and Castor and a bit farther left
of
similar-looking Procyon. Binoculars show the Beehive star cluster, M44,
to Saturn's left or lower left.

Uranus and Neptune are hidden behind the glow of the Sun.

Pluto (magnitude 14) is in the southeast before the first light of dawn.

2003 UB313 (magnitude 19) is getting low in the west-southwest right after
dark.


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The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
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