The Monthly Sky

By Tom Lugar

FEBRUARY 

Prominent Constellations

Cancer, Leo, Leo Minor, Hydra rising in the east; Eridanus, Taurus, Canis Major, Orion, Gemini, Lepus, Monoceros, Auriga in the south; Draco, Cepheus, Perseus, Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Lynx in the north; Pegasus, Cetus, Andromeda, Pisces, Aries in the west.

February Star Chart – Click on the link to the left for a star chart by Sky Maps. On the site, scroll down and click on the Month Star Chart listed under Northern Hemisphere. The chart is in a PDF format and prints well. Note that it is two pages and use zoom at 125x or 150x for better resolution.

 

Planets

      Evening Sky          Midnight          Morning Sky
 Venus      - west       Saturn - southeast           Mars  - southwest
 Mercury   - west        Mars - southeast         Saturn  - southwest
 Uranus     - west            
 Jupiter    - southwest          

Mercury:  Viewable at dusk late in February, magnitude -1.0; sets one hour after the Sun by February 22.  Mercury will be located to the lower right of Venus.

Venus:   In the west at twilight, masgnitude -4.1 on February 1 and increasing in brightness to -4.3 by the end of the month.  Venus is 25 degrees above the horizon an hour after sunset.  On February 25, the crescent Moon and Venus will be 3 degrees apart.  The disk diameter increases fom 15″ to 18″ during the month and 74% to 64% illuminated.

Mars:  Doubles in brightness during February from magnitude -0.5 to -1.2.  Mar’s closest approach to Earth will be on March 5 but it will be at aphelion (farthest out in its orbit from the Sun) at that time so it will not be very close to Earth.  The disk diameter will increase from 11.8″ to 13.8″ in February.  Mars will reach its highest altitude in the south just before midnight.

Jupiter:  In southern Aries, magnitude -2.3; sets around midnight; 39″ disk diameter.

Saturn:  Visible in the east by midnight in early February and by 10 pm EST at the end of the month.  Saturn is located in Virgo, 7 degrees east-northeast of Spica; magnitude 0.5; rings span 41″ and the tilt is 15 degrees to our line of sight; 18″ disk.  Look for its 8th magnitude moon, Titan.

Uranus:  Between February 3 and 15, Uranus and Venus lie in the same field of view in 7×50 binoculars.  The two are just 0.3 degrees apart on the evening of February 9.  Uranus is magnitude 5.9, 3.4″ disk and with higher magnifications, you should see its blue-green color.

Neptune:  Not viewable all month as it is in conjunction with the Sun..

Pluto:  In Sagittarius and not viewable. 

  

Comets

Comet P/2006 T1 (Levy):  In the southern sky passing through Lepus and into Canis Major.  The comet will fade from 8 to 9 magnitude during February.  Finder chart in Astronomy Magazine, February issue, page 42. 

Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd):  7th magnitude; on February 2 and 3, it will be 1 degree from globular cluster M92 in Hercules after midnight.  Finder chart in Astronomy Magazine, February issue. page 43.

Events.

February 9:  Uranus is 0.3 degrees south of Venus and in the same field of view in binoculars.

February 9 – 23: Early evening, Zodiacal Light is on disply from a dark sky location.  Look west starting about 80 minutes after sunset for a large tall pyramid of diffuse light centered between Jupiter and Venus.    

February 11:  Moon at perigee, closest distance for the month at 228,616 miles.

February 22:  At dust, a very thin one day old crescent Moon is 5 degrees to the right of Mercury very low in the west a half hour after sunset; use binoculars.

February 25: Moon is very close to Venus, 3 degree separation.

February 26:  Moon is close to Jupiter.

February 27:  Moon at apogee, farthest distance for the month at 251,570 miles.

  

Jupiter Shadow Transits

Observing Evening, PM to AM       Moon Shadow Transit Time, EST

Feb. 5 to 6                                                   Io: 7:49 pm start, 9:58 pm end

 Feb. 8 to 9                                Ganymede: 9:21 pm start, 11:08 pm end

 Feb. 10 to 13                                             Io: 9:45 pm start, 11:54 pm end

 Feb. 14  to 15                                             Io: 4:14 pm start, 6:23 pm end

 Feb. 15 to 16                                   Europa: 5:04 pm start, 7:26 pm end

 Feb. 21 to 22                                              Io: 6:10 pm start, 8:19 pm end

 Feb. 22 to 23                                   Europa: 7:40 pm start, 10:02 pm end

Feb. 28 to 29                                               Io: 8:06  pm start, 10:15 pm end

     

                        

  CURRENT MOON

CURRENT MOON

Lunar phases

Full - 2/7, Last Quarter - 2/14,  New Moon - 2/21, First Quarter - 2/29

 

Deep Sky Objects

Best Nights to Observe:  February 13 – 28.

M41:  Open Cluster in Canis Major, 4.5 magnitude, 38’ wide, large and bright; at 80x about 75 stars are seen in a small scope, stars are magnitude 9-11, 2,000 l.y. distant.

NGC 2362:  Open Cluster in Canis Major, 4.1 magnitude, 8’, the cluster surrounds a 4.0 magnitude star, Tau (τ), bight cluster, 5,000 l.y. distant. In a 10” scope at 220x, 45 stars, 8 to 11 magnitude, can be seen in a 7’ area. 

NGC 2207& IC2163:  Galaxy in Canis Major, spiral, 10.8 magnitude, 4.8’ x 2.3’; 2207 is interacting with neighboring galaxy IC 2163.  In a 10” scope, 2207 shows a bright core surrounded by a small moderately faint halo elongated east-west.  IC 2163 lies to the east and shows a faint broadly concentrated glow about 2’ across, 11.9 magnitude, 3.0’ x 1.2’; 110 million l.y. distant.

NGC 2217:   Galaxy in Canis Major, barred spiral, 10.2 magnitude, 5.0’ x 4.5’, through a large aperture, it appears as a diffuse, uniform haze 3’ across surrounding a bright core.  In a 10” scope at 170x, a 1’ oval tipped ESE enfolds a round core; 55 million l.y. distant.

IC 2177:  Gum 2 Emission Nebula in Canis Major, also called ‘The Seagull Nebula’, the nebula spills over from Monoceros, 120’ x 40’; a nebula filter UHC or OIII filter is required and brings out a patchy haze. Star chains extend along the length of the nebula.  At the southern end of the strip lies the reflection nebula Cederblad 90.  It glows brightly as it reflects the light of the 8th magnitude star at its center.  The nebula measures 3’ across and appears round with a hazy edge and is best observed without a filter combination of reflection and emission nebula). To the nebula’s west is a dark nebula.

NGC 2263: Galaxy in Canis Major, magnitude 11.9, 2.6’ x 1.6’, faint elongated haze.

NGC 2280:  Galaxy in Canis Major, 10.5 magnitude, 6.3’ x 2.8’.  In a 12” scope, it appears as a moderately right mist measuring 2’ x 1’ with a broadly concentrated center; a hint of a dust lane and some spiral structure can be seen in a large scope, 16”+.

NGC 2283 & IC 2171:  Galaxy in Canis Major, spiral, 11.5 magnitude, 3.4’ x 2.7’; appears mottled with a hint of spiral structure in a 16”+ scope.  Its neighbor, IC 2171 is 26’ NW and is 14.6 magnitude, 1.6’ x 0.3’.  IC 2171 is very faint and requires averted vision to spot.

NGC 2295, 2292, 2293:  Galaxy group in Canis Major; 2293 is the largest and brightest of the group, magnitude 10.7, 4.3’ x 3.0’, a bright nucleus surrounded by a greenish white area of nebulosity; 2292 is just west of 2293, magnitude 10.8, 4.2’ x 2.3’; 2295 is west of 2292, small, extended haze, 12.7 magnitude, 2.4’ x 0.7’, elongated east-west and shows little detail but has a bright nucleus.

NGC 2325:  Galaxy in Canis Major, elliptical, 11.0 magnitude, 3.2’ x 2.2’, bright nucleus, 8.0 million l.y.

NGC 2345:  Open Cluster in Canis Major, 7.7 magnitude, 12’, 40 stars of 12-13 magnitudes compressed into a 10’ area, stands out well from the rich surrounding field; a 10” scope brings out 30 more fainter stars; cluster is loose and irregular.

NGC 2354:  Open Cluster in Canis Major, 6.5 magnitude, 20’ across.  A few 9 and 10 magnitude stars along with 60 fainter members.

NGC 2243:  Open Cluster in Canis Major, 9.4 magnitude, 13’ across; looks like a globular cluster; an 8” scope reveals a dozen faint stars against a hazy glow that spans 3’.  A 16” scope or larger reveals 30 stars.

NGC 2359:  Nebula in Canis Major, ‘Duck Nebula’, also called ‘Thor’s Helmut’, 9.0 magnitude, 13’ x 11’; an OIII filter or UHC filter brings out the nebula well; at intermediate magnifications, the brightest feature is the duck’s bill, a 4’ x 1’ extension on the nebula’s southern end.  The bubble itself, or the duck’s body, appears as a slightly fainter network of interlacing filaments that measure 4’ across.  Thor’s Helmut: in a large scope, 12”+, the most prominent area is 6.5’ tall and shaped like a number ‘2’.  A fainter extension strikes out to the NW from the top of the ‘2’.  The curve of the ‘2’ can be pictured as the dome of a Viking Helmut and the westward reaching spikes as its horns.

NGC 2360:  Open Cluster in Canis Major, 7.2 magnitude, 12’. A 10” scope shows 60 stars between 11 and 13 magnitude in a 8’ area. The star density appears greater on the cluster’s western edge; near the middle, the stars line up in 3 rows running NNW to SSE; a larger scope brings out a total of 100 stars; 5,000 l.y. distant.

NGC 2272:  Galaxy in Canis Major, 11.7 magnitude, lenticular or lens-shaped, 2.6’ x 1.8’.

Minkowski 1-13:  Planetary Nebula in Canis Major, 12.6 magnitude, 30” x 42”, appears stellar at low power in a 10” scope; at 220x it appears as a small but fairly bright oval tipped north-NE.

Sharpless 2-301:  Emission Nebula in Canis Major, 8’ x 7’, 4,200 l.y. distant.  An unfiltered 8” scope shows a haze 5’ across with a bright center lying in a rich field of stars.  An OIII or UHC filter markedly improves the view; large apertures of 16”+, bring out a mottled texture in the bright nebula.

NGC 2223:  Galaxy in Canis Major, barred spiral, magnitude 11.8, 3.2’ x 2.3’; some evidence of mottling can be seen; 110 million l.y. distant.

NGC 2470:  Galaxy in Canis Minor, 12.7 magnitude, 1.5’ x 0.5’, use 150x.

NGC 2415:  Galaxy in Lynx, 12.4 magnitude, 1’ halo.

NGC 2683:  Galaxy in Lynx, 9.8 magnitude, high surface brightness, 9.3’ x 2.5’, edge-on spiral, brightest galaxy in Lynx; at a dark site the galaxy shows an elongated haze surrounding a relatively large, cigar-shaped core; takes high magnification well.

NGC 2419:  Globular in Lynx, 10.4 magnitude, fairly bright, fifth most distant globular known at 300,000 l.y.; 4.1’ diameter, fuzzy disk with a strong central concentration; the cluster’s brightest members are only 17 magnitude; an 18” scope will start to resolve some of its stars.

NGC 2537:  Galaxy in Lynx, ‘Bear Paw Galaxy’, 11.7 magnitude, 1.5’ halo, sharp-edged disk that resembles a planetary nebula.

NGC 2859:  Galaxy in Lynx, 10 magnitude, 4’ disk, 41’ east of alpha.

NGC 2549:  Galaxy in Lynx, 11.2 magnitude, 2’ x 0.5’.

NGC 2782:  Galaxy in Lynx, 11.6 magnitude, 2’ x 1.5’.

NGC 2832:  Galaxy in Lynx, 2.5’ diameter halo.

NGC 2158:  Open Cluster in Gemini, 8.6 magnitude, 5’, 16,000 l.y. distant; appears like a small cottonball or hazy object in the same low power field with M35.  A 16” at 300 – 400x may resolve 30 stars against a fairly uniform background while a 20” scope will resolve double that number.  A very old cluster with an age of around 2 billion years.  There are about 150 stars total, 13 magnitude and fainter; it looks like a faint globular cluster.

NGC 2420:  Open Cluster in Gemini, 8.3 magnitude, 10’, 100 stars; in an 8” scope you can see 30 stars most of which are 12-13 magnitude, 6,700 l.y.

NGC 2371/72:  Planetary in Gemini, 11.3 magnitude, 55”, 5,000 l.y.  A 13” scope brings out 2 lobes of the planetary, each measuring 20” across that straddles the NE and SW sides of the central star (14.9 magnitude).  The planetary needs a dark site to see details; an OIII filter will enhance.

IC 443: Supernova remnant in Gemini, diffuse arc, low surface brightness, use an OIII filter to spot, 1o east of Eta (η); often called the ‘Winter Veil Nebula’.

M35:  Open Cluster in Gemini, 5.1 magnitude, 28’ wide, 200 stars, 2,800 l.y. distant; includes two orange colored stars, very rich cluster, stars are 8 to 16 magnitude.

NGC 2392:  Planetary in Gemini, 9.2 magnitude, ‘Eskimo Nebula’, bluish disk, 15’ across, 4,600 l.y. distant; divides into two concentric shells, the inner portion is bright, round and mottled; separating the inner disk from a faint outer shell is a dark ring; central star is 10 magnitude; the total size with outer shell is 47” x 43”; to view detail use an OIII filter.

NGC 2129:  Open Cluster in Gemini, 6.7 magnitude, 7 to 15 magnitude stars, two 7 magnitude stars dominate the center of the cluster; the cluster is bifurcated by a dark band that runs cross-wise between the two bright stars; loose scattering of three dozen or so faint stars in a 7’ area.

NGC 2266:  Open Cluster in Gemini, 9.5 magnitude, 5’ area, 50 stars of 11-15 magnitude, 11,000 l.y. distant; has a triangular shape; in a 6” scope at 87x, a dozen faint to very faint stars are seen against a background haze; a larger aperture reveals many more stars.

NGC 2395/ PK 205:  Open cluster in Gemini, 8.0 magnitude, 45 stars in a 20’ x 10’ area; a half moon-shaped planetary, PK 205, is located to the upper right of the cluster; use an OIII filter to spot.

Abell 21:  ‘Medusa Nebula’ in Gemini, 10.3 magnitude, 615”, 12th largest planetary nebula, 2,000 l.y. distant, surface brightness is very low, an OIII or UHC filter will enhance.

NGC 2331:  Open Cluster in Gemini, 8.5 magnitude, 30 stars, 9-13 magnitude in a 15’ area.

 

Double stars

 

α Canis Major:  -1.5 and 8.5, magnitudes at 8” separation; the companion to Sirius is called ‘The Pup’, only an excellent scope (APO Refractor) has a shot at revealing the Pup in the glare of Sirius.  The separation is increasing and will be 11.3” in 2022; 8.6 l.y. distant.

τ Canis Major: 4.4 and 10.5 magnitudes at 8.2” separation, located within open cluster NGC 2362; yellow, bluish.

W Canis Major:  Carbon Star, 6.6 magnitude, 1 degree NE of the Cederblad 90 nebula.

ν Canis Major:  5.8 and 8.5 magnitudes at 17.5”, yellow, dark blue.

τ Canis Major:  4.4 and 10.5 magnitudes at 8.2”, located within open cluster NGC 2362, yellow, blue.

17 Canis Major:  5.8 and 8.7 magnitudes at 43” separation, white, orange-red.

ADS 5951 Canis Major:  ’The Winter Alberio’, 4.8 and 6.8 magnitudes at 26.8”, orange, blue, stunning.

μ Canis Major:  5.3 and 8.6 magnitudes at 3.0”, use 200x, orange, blue.

19 Lynx:   5.6 and 6.5 magnitudes at 14.8” separation, both white.

12 Lynx:  Triple: 5.4 and 6.0 magnitudes at 1.8” and 7.3 magnitude at 8.7” from primary pair, use 200x.

20 Lynx:  7.3 and 7.4 magnitudes at 4.2”, yellow, pale blue.

Σ 946 Lynx:  7.2 and 9.0 magnitudes at 4.2”, yellow, pale blue.

Σ 960 Lynx:  8.0 and 9.9 magnitudes at 21.9”, yellow, white.

Σ 968 Lynx:  8.0 and 9.0 magnitudes at 20.7” separation, yellow, orange.

Σ 1050 Lynx: 8.1 and 8.8 magnitudes at 19.3” separation, both light orange.

Σ 1025 Lynx:  8.3 and 8.6 magnitudes at 26” separation, both yellow.

Σ 958 Lynx: 6.3 and 6.3 magnitudes at 4.8” separation, both yellow.