USPS Star Calendar for 4-10 March 26 February 2012
Posted by amedalen in March 2012.Tags: Arcturus, greatest elongation, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, perigee, Procyon, Regulus, Saturn, Spica, Venus
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4 Mar In the early evening, look for Procyon a little more than 1 fist-width to the moon’s lower right. About 80 percent of the moon’s surface is illuminated. Venus and Jupiter are little more than 4 finger-widths apart tonight.
5 Mar Mercury reaches its greatest eastward elongation from the sun, 18.2 degrees, which means it sets more than 1½ hours after the sun. Look low in the west at dusk to see Mercury 2½ fist-widths below Venus. Jupiter is less than 4 finger-widths to the upper left.
6 Mar The moon and Regulus rise about 1½ hours before sunset. The nearly full moon is visible as it rises, even before sunset. Magnitude 1.3 Regulus becomes visible 3 finger-widths to the left of the moon as the sky darkens. Magnitude -1.2 Mars rises an hour after the moon, 1½ fist-widths to the lower left.
7 Mar Late tonight, the nearly full moon is high in the southeast. Mars is almost 1 fist-width to the moon’s upper left and Regulus is 1½ fist-widths to the upper right. Arcturus is far to the lower left. The distance between Jupiter and Venus is less than 3 finger-widths.
9 Mar The moon rises 2 hours after sunset, followed an hour later by Saturn. Before midnight, look low in the east to see magnitude 0.4 Saturn 1½ fist-widths to the moon’s lower right. The bright star between them is magnitude 1.2 Spica. Only 2 finger-widths separate Jupiter and Venus.
10 Mar The moon is at perigee, 56.82 Earth-radii, 362,000 kilometers, away.
USPS Star Calendar for 19-25 February 12 February 2012
Posted by amedalen in February 2012.Tags: greatest elongation, Jupiter, Mardi Gras, Mercury, Shrove Tuesday, Venus
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21 Feb Shrove Tuesday, Mardi Gras
22 Feb Tonight catch a glimpse of ever-elusive Mercury, which is less than 2 weeks from its greatest elongation, 18 degrees east of the sun, on 5 March. After sunset, you have about an hour to see Mercury less than 3 finger-widths to the moon’s left.
24 Feb Jupiter, Venus and the waxing crescent moon line up in the west this evening. The moon is closest to the horizon with magnitude -4.2 Venus 1 fist-width to the upper left and magnitude -2.2 Jupiter 1½ fist-widths beyond Venus. Only 5 percent of the moon’s surface is illuminated.
25 Feb Venus is 1 finger-width to the moon’s lower left this evening.
USPS Star Calendar for 12-18 February 5 February 2012
Posted by amedalen in February 2012.Tags: Antares, Jupiter, last-quarter moon, Sagittarius, Saturn, Scorpion, Scorpius, Spica, Venus
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12 Feb In the southwest before dawn, Spica is 1 finger-width above the moon, and Saturn is 4 finger-widths to the moon’s upper left. A little more than two-thirds of the moon’s surface is illuminated.
14 Feb The last-quarter moon rises well after midnight.
15 Feb Low in the south before dawn, the waning crescent moon is 2 finger-widths above reddish Antares, the heart of the Scorpion, Scorpius.
16 Feb Low in the southeast before dawn, the moon is between Antares, 1 fist-width to the right, and Sagittarius, far to the lower left. About one-third of the moon’s surface is illuminated.
18 Feb The distance between Venus and Jupiter has shrunk to little more than 2 fist-widths.
