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Home -> Astronomy News -> Events -> February 2015
Post Info TOPIC: February 2015
Blobrana


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Meteor Showers

February has no major meteor showers but there are a couple of minor showers for Southern hemisphere observers, the Alpha and Beta Centaurids. Although the Alpha Centaurids is considered a minor shower, in some years the number of meteors rises enough to reach the level of a major shower. While Alpha & Beta Centaurids can occasionally be seen during most of the month, their peaks occur on the same night, in the early morning hours of February 8.

ShowerActivity PeriodMaximumRadiantVelocityZHR
  DateR.A.Dec.km/s 
Beta Centaurids1- 25 February9 February13.9h-58.1°58.913.2
Alpha Centaurids 9 February14.5h-59.8°58.27.0
Pi VirginidsFeb.- 9 March12 February    
Beta LeonidsFeb.- 25 March13 February    
Delta VelidsJan 22-Feb 2114 February08:44-52°351
Omicron CentauridsJan 31-Feb 1914 February11:48-56°512
Delta LeonidsFeb 15-Mar 1022 February11:12+16°232
Sigma Leonids 25 February176°+9° 2



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Blobrana


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Highlights

 
daffodil2.gif

Objects of the Heart for Valentine's Day.

On February 14, many areas of the world will celebrate love with Valentine's Day. For those of you lucky enough to have a loved one of your own (or not), consider the following objects provided in the Heavens:
The first and most obvious is the planet of Venus, named after the Greek Goddess of love. Now, go over to the constellation of Cassiopeia, and you will find The Heart Nebula. Officially called by the decidedly less romantic "IC1805", the Heart Nebula glows a reddish hue (naturally) at magnitude +6. Surrounding the delicate splash of diamonds, is the star cluster Melotte 15.
Next is the Rosette Nebula, NGC 2237. Located in Monoceros, this delicate planetary nebula is perhaps one of the prettiest in the sky. Zoom in with a field of view of 4 degrees, you will see beauty gracefully bloom on your screen unlike anything you're seen before. If the roses have done their job, you may at last want to consider the Ring Nebula, M57. Rising in the early morning hours during the winter, M57 is one of the easiest to locate deep-sky objects and one of the most aptly named, nestled gently in the side of Lyra, the Lyre. Low power telescope views show a very small blue/green disk, not much bigger than a star. Medium to high power will magnify the size of the nebula while leaving the surrounding stars the same size, confirming you have found it. It can be seen in binoculars as a faint star like point of light.



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Mercury: at magnitude 4.1, starts the month in the constellation of Capricornus. Mercury makes its closest approach to the Earth (0.655 AU) on the 1st. Mercury is at Dichotomy (Half phase) on the 19th. Mercury is at Greatest Elongation (26.7° W) in the morning sky on the 24th. The planet is best seen from 07:25 UT, 4th. 
(On February 4th, RA=20h24m23s  Dec=-15°38.2' (J2000) Distance=0.666AU  Phase k=7%  Diameter=10.1")

Venus: is at magnitude -3.9. The planet is in constellation Aquarius at the start of the month. Venus is in conjunction (separation 46.5') with Neptune on the 1st. It is best seen from 09:00 - 18:00 UT. The Moon is close (Separation 3.62°) to Venus on the 20th. Venus is in conjunction (Separation 27.6') with Mars on the 21st. 
(On February 1st, RA=22h32m18s  Dec=-10°49.4' (J2000) Distance=1.509AU  Phase k=91%  Diameter=11.1")

 phase.gif
 

Earth: For sundials, the Sun culminates 14m19s late on the 11th February 2015

The Moon: The Full Moon is at 23:08.9 UT, 3rd February 2015. Lunar Apogee is at 06:13.1 UT, 6th. Last Quarter Moon is at 03:49.8 UT, 12th. The New Moon is at 23:47.2 UT, 18th. Lunar Perigee is at 07:22.1 UT, 19th. The First Quarter Moon is at 17:14.0 UT, 25th.

Mars: at magnitude 1.2 starts the month in the constellation Aquarius. The planet is best seen from 17:00 - 19:40 UT. The Moon is close (Separation 4.00°) to Mars on the 20th.
(On February 1st, RA=23h05m30s  Dec= -6°43.0' (J2000) Distance=2.110AU  Phase k=96%  Diameter=4.4")

Jupiter: is in the constellation Leo. At magnitude -2.6, the planet is best seen from 17:00 - 08:00 UT. Jupiter is at Opposition, and makes its closest approach to the Earth (4.346 AU), on the 6th. Jupiter is 5.8° from the Moon on the 4th.

Transit times of the Great Red Spot and Jupiters satellites are posted in separate threads.
(On February 1st, RA= 9h23m50s  Dec=+16°16.3' (J2000) Distance=4.351AU  Diameter=45.2")

Saturn: at magnitude 0.5 sits in the constellation Libra. The planet is best seen from 18.5h -23.8h. The Moon is close (Separation 2.75°) to Saturn on the 13th.
(On February 1st, RA=15h22m28s  Dec=-16°11.4' (J2000) Distance=10.002AU  Diameter=16.5")

Uranus: is in the constellation Pisces. Uranus at magnitude 5.9, has a bluish-green hue and appears 3.4 arcseconds wide. The planet is best seen from 19:00 - 20:25 UT. 
(On February 1st, RA= 0h53m46s  Dec= +5°04.4' (J2000) Distance=20.829AU  Diameter=3.4")

Neptune: is at magnitude 8.0 in the constellation Aquarius. Neptune is in conjunction on the 26th. Venus is in conjunction (separation 46.5') with Neptune on the 1st February 2015.
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Pluto: is in the constellation Sagittarius (mag 14.2). Normally, a finder chart is necessary to help in identifying the 0.13" diameter dwarf planet. The dwarf planet is best seen from 10.4h -22.3h.
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The Sun enters the zodiac sign Pisces at 23:50 UT, 18th February, 2015.



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