Starry sky in February. Constellations in February What constellations can be seen in February

In February in the evening sky Mars and dazzling Venus pass 5° from each other in the constellation Pisces. Mercury invisible, hiding in the rays of the rising Sun. Jupiter observed in the night and morning sky in the constellation Virgo, moving above its bright star Spica. Saturn rises in the morning sky low above the southeastern horizon. Uranus And Neptune are located in the evening sky in the constellations Pisces and Aquarius. At the end of February there will be a close approach between Mars and Uranus in the sky.

Moon will approach the indicated planets: February 1 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.13 - with Venus and Mars, February 2 in the evening with a lunar phase of 0.31 - with Uranus, February 16 at night with a lunar phase of 0.78 - with Jupiter, February 21 in the morning with lunar phase 0.30 - with Saturn, February 26 at the new moon - with Mercury, February 27 at the new moon - with Neptune. For observations, it is better to choose nights when the Moon does not pass near the observed planet near its full phases.

Visibility conditions are given for the middle latitudes of Russia (about 56° N). For cities to the north and south, the celestial bodies will be located at the indicated time, respectively, slightly lower or higher (by the difference in latitude) relative to their places in the Bratsk sky. To clarify the local visibility conditions of planets, use planetarium programs.

MERCURY moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations Sagittarius, Capricorn and Aquarius. The planet is at dawn, ending visibility at the beginning of the month and gradually approaching the daylight star. The elongation of Mercury decreases from 21 to 6 degrees per month. The apparent diameter of Mercury decreases from 5 to 4 arcseconds as its brightness increases from -0.4m to -1.2m. The phase of Mercury increases from 0.81 to 0.98 per month. To successfully observe Mercury during periods of visibility, you need binoculars, an open horizon and a clear twilight sky.

VENUS moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces (next to Mars). The planet is visible in the evenings high above the southwestern horizon, and on February 2 it will pass 5° from Mars. The visibility of Venus is about 4 hours before it sets. The angular dimensions of the planet's disk increase from 31 to 46 arcseconds. The planet's phase decreases from 0.39 to 0.17 with increasing brightness from -4.8m to -4.9m. The elongation of the planet decreases over the course of a month from 45 to 33 degrees from the Sun. Such brightness and angular distance from the Sun make it possible to observe Venus during the day with the naked eye (provided there is a transparent, clear blue sky). Through a telescope, a shrinking crescent will be visible with a simultaneous increase in the size of the planet, because The distance between Venus and Earth decreases throughout the month.

The position of Venus and Mars in the evening sky in early February 2017

MARS moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces (to the left of dazzling Venus). It can be observed in the evenings for 4 hours above the southwestern horizon. The brightness of the planet decreases over the course of a month from +1.2m to +1.3m, and the angular diameter from 5" to 4" - Mars is gradually moving away from the Earth. For observations, a telescope with a lens diameter of 60-90 mm is required. The best time to observe details on the disk of Mars is the moment of opposition, which occurs every two years. At other times, Mars appears through a telescope as a tiny reddish disk with no details. The closest opposition of Mars will occur on July 27, 2018 (Great Opposition!).

JUPITER moves in the same direction with the Sun through the constellation Virgo (above *Spica), changing its movement to a retrograde position on February 6. The gas giant rises above the southeastern horizon at night and increases visibility from 8 to 9 hours by the end of the month. The angular diameter of the giant planet in the sky increases from 38 to 42 arc seconds, and its brightness from -2.0m to -2.2m. Jupiter's best visibility period is coming in 2017, which will last until May. The moment of confrontation will come in the middle of this period on April 8th.

The position of Jupiter in the morning sky of February 2017

Through binoculars, four bright satellites of the giant are visible - due to the rapid orbital motion, they noticeably change their position relative to each other and Jupiter during one night (the configurations of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto can be found in astronomical calendars or in planetarium programs).

The telescope distinguishes stripes (northern and southern equatorial stripes), shadows from satellites periodically pass across the disk of the planet, as well as the famous huge oval cyclone GRS (Great Red Spot), making a full revolution along with the planet’s atmosphere in 9.5 hours. The current longitude of the BKP can be found on the website http://jupos.privat.t-online.de/rGrs.htm. The BCP appears approximately 2 hours before passing through the meridian and disappears 2 hours later (goes beyond the disk).

Moments of the passage of the BKP through the central meridian of Jupiter in FEBRUARY 2017 (universal time UT)
To get the time for Bratsk, you need to add 8 hours to universal time

Current longitude of BKP 262°

1 03:36 13:31 23:27
2 09:20 19:16
3 05:13 15:09
4 01:06 11:02 20:57
5 06:51 16:46

6 02:44 12:39 22:35
7 08:28 18:24
8 04:21 14:17
9 00:14 10:10 20:05
10 05:58 15:54
11 01:51 11:47 21:43
12 07:36 17:32

13 03:29 13:24 23:20
14 09:13 19:09
15 05:06 15:02
16 00:59 10:55 20:50
17 06:44 16:39
18 02:36 12:32 22:28
19 08:21 18:17

20 04:14 14:09
21 00:07 10:02 19:58
22 05:51 15:47
23 01:44 11:40 21:35
24 07:29 17:24
25 03:21 13:17 23:13
26 09:06 19:02

27 04:59 14:54
28 00:52 10:47 20:43

SATURN moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations Ophiuchus and Sagittarius. The planet is observed in the morning near the southeastern horizon, increasing the duration of visibility from 2 to 3 hours throughout the month. The angular diameter of Saturn increases from 15 to 16 arcseconds at a magnitude of +0.6m.

In a small telescope, the ring around the planet and the satellite Titan (+8m) are clearly visible. The apparent dimensions of the planet's ring are about 40x16 arcseconds. Currently, the planet's rings are open to 27° and the northern pole of the gas giant is illuminated by the Sun.

Saturn's position in the morning sky in February 2017

URANUS moves in the same direction as the Sun in the constellation Pisces. The planet can be observed from late evening to midnight during moonless periods (i.e. at the beginning and end of the month). The planet's brightness is +5.8m with an angular diameter of 3".

During periods of opposition, Uranus can be observed with the naked eye in a clear, transparent sky, in the absence of illumination from the Moon (near the new moon) and away from city lights. In a 150-mm telescope with a magnification of 80x and higher, you can see the greenish disk (“pea”) of the planet. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness less than +13m.

The position of Uranus, Mars and Venus in the evening sky in early February 2017

NEPTUNE moves in the same direction as the Sun along the constellation Aquarius near the star Lambda (3.7m). The planet is in the evening sky, but its visibility ends by the end of the month. The planet's brightness is +7.9m magnitude and is almost no different from the surrounding stars.

Binoculars or a telescope using star charts and a clear, transparent and moonless sky will help you find Neptune during periods of visibility. To view the disk of the planet, you need a 200 mm telescope with a magnification of 100 times or higher (with a clear sky). Neptune's satellites have a brightness less than +13m.

Perhaps one of the most famous stars in the entire sky. In ancient Egypt, it was considered the personification of the supreme god Osiris, and the Romans used it to mark the beginning of the holidays - the hottest days of the year. In modern times, during the times of Herschel, Kant and Lambert, the star Sirius began to play the role of a pillar stone in determining the scale of the Universe.

Of course, Sirius gained his fame due to his extreme brilliance. This is the brightest star in the Earth's night sky! And you can see this for yourself on February evenings, when Sirius sparkles above the southern horizon. How to find Sirius at the end of winter?

To do this, we will use the help of the brightest constellation of winter, Orion, as the figure of the mythical hunter dominates the evening sky of February.

The constellation Orion is well known for its characteristic pattern of 7 bright stars. Drawing: Stellarium

The constellation Orion can be easily identified by its characteristic pattern of 7 stars, noticeable even in the sky of a large city. Bright red Betelgeuse and a bluish star Bellatrix form the shoulders of a hunter, three bright white stars located at the same distance from each other - Orion's belt, two stars below - bluish Rigel and star Saif- the hero's legs.

Found it? In February, the constellation Orion appears in the sky at dusk in the southeast quite high in the sky. Late evening Orion culminates in the south, and at midnight it’s already tends to the horizon in the southwest. Let us repeat, the constellation is so bright that it is noticeable even in the overexposed sky of megacities (the main thing is that the horizon in the southern direction is open).

Now Sirius is easier to find: three stars in Orion's Belt point to the star. Connect the stars of the Belt with an imaginary line and then extend it to the left (and down). The first bright star to appear on this line will be Sirius.

Three stars in Orion's Belt point to Sirius. Drawing: Stellarium

In mid-latitudes, Sirius does not rise high above the horizon, so north of St. Petersburg it can be quite difficult to see the star in the city due to the surrounding houses. But the further south the observer is, the higher Sirius is above the horizon, the easier it is to see.

Sirius's low position in the sky produces several interesting effects. Refraction and atmospheric flows near the horizon cause the star, as a rule, to twinkle strongly and shimmer with all the colors of the rainbow. It is often difficult to say what Sirius's true color is! (The star is white!) This makes Sirius look like a sparkling tiny diamond. In addition, in dusty city air, the brightness of a star can sometimes be seriously weakened, which is why Sirius can appear almost the same brightness as Rigel or Betelgeuse.

But most likely, one quick glance at the star will be enough for you to be convinced of its brightness! Look around: you won’t find a single opponent anywhere around!

However, sometimes a surprise may await you: for example, in the evening sky of February 2017, you will probably find an absolutely incredible bright object in the west - a large, yellowish-white star. This is, of course, not a star, but planet Venus A. Venus is much brighter than Sirius, as is the planet Jupiter, as well as Mars at moments near opposition. The presence of a bright planet in the winter sky allows you to compare its shine with Sirius and other bright stars and remember its “appearance” - brightness, color, “behavior” (for example, planets, unlike stars, almost do not twinkle). In the future, you will learn to immediately distinguish planets from stars.

February is the middle of winter. February 1 (2,454,133 Julian day) The sun rises in Moscow at 7:55 am, sets at 16:33 am according to mean solar time, and according to winter time, which coincides with maternity leave, at 8:25 am and respectively 17:03 At the end of the month, February 28 (Julian day 2,454,160), the first stars (taking into account the duration of twilight) will appear at 18:41 and disappear at 6:56. In February, the Sun moves first according to the constellation Capricorn, and after February 17 - according to the constellation Aquarius. If you follow the movement of the Sun through the signs of the zodiac, which extend 30° along the ecliptic, starting from the point of the vernal equinox, then in the first two decades of February the Sun is in the sign of Aquarius, and after February 20 it moves through the sign of Pisces.

The evening February sky amazes with bright stars that outline the contours of the most noticeable constellations. At 19-20 hours, the three most noticeable constellations approach the upper culmination from the southeast: Auriga with the bright Capella, below it Taurus with the bright orange Aldebaran, and somewhat to the east - Orion with the bright topaz-yellow hue of Betelgeuse.

A group of nine bright stars in the Orion constellation occupies almost the entire field of view. Three stars arranged obliquely represent Orion's Belt. The celestial equator passes through them - an important line on the celestial sphere, dividing it into the northern and southern hemispheres. This line also passes through the east and west points on the horizon. Try to trace the equator using these landmarks. In ancient times, the three stars in Orion's Belt were called Three Kings, they are all around second magnitude and are called (from left to right) Zeta (), Epsilon () and Delta ().

Constellations above the southern part of the horizon (at the latitude of Moscow)

Bright Betelgeuse () is visible above Orion's Belt, to the left. This is a variable pulsating star, its period is about 2070 days. and not entirely clearly expressed. Direct measurements of its size using the Michelson stellar interferometer showed that during pulsations its radius changes from 700 to 1000 solar radii. If this star were in the place of the Sun, all our planets up to Jupiter would be inside it. Using the speckle interferometry method, for the first time we obtained a photograph of the surface of a star with spots - the same as on our Sun (though their sizes are comparable to the distance from the Earth to the Sun). This supergiant star is located at a distance of about 200 pc from us, the surface temperature is about 3000 K, and the luminosity is almost 15,000 times higher than the Sun. Betelgeuse has almost completely exhausted its hydrogen fuel and is nearing the end of its life. Typically, stars with this mass (about 15 solar masses) live for about 10 million years and, before dying, swell to gigantic sizes, turning into red supergiants. But, what is most interesting, such a star, dying, explodes as a supernova. We cannot say exactly when Betelgeuse will explode, or whether we will witness a catastrophic explosion - it could happen tomorrow, or maybe in tens of thousands of years. It is not surprising that astronomers study this star so carefully, because the consequences of the explosion are not difficult to imagine. It is believed that a similar supernova explosion, which occurred as a result of the explosion of a star near the Sun about 60 million years ago, led, according to one version, to the extinction of dinosaurs, but also to the emergence of new species of living beings - mammals, and later - humans.

To the right of Betelgeuse is Bel-latrix (, 2 m). Between these stars, slightly higher, one can discern a third (, 3 m), which, at first glance, seems like a foggy speck. This impression is strengthened by the fact that under it there are two more faint stars (5 m). Under the Three Kings, on the right, a very bright (1 m) star Rigel (Orionis). To the left of Rigel there is a star (2 m). The constellation drawing is completed by an elongated foggy spot under the belt, indicating the place of the suspended sword. The oblique line of the Three Kings, with its continuation to the southeast, points to the brightest star in our sky - Sirius (Canis Major). The constellation Orion has been repeatedly sung in ancient legends and myths of different peoples. The ancient Jews saw in him Nimrod, the first hunter on Earth. They even called him Kezil, i.e. impermanence, which was associated with bad autumn weather and the dangers that awaited sailors at this time. Ancient historians attribute the loss of the Roman fleet in the First Punic War to the illiteracy of the consuls, who did not take into account centuries-old signs and insisted on sailing the fleet at the dangerous time of the rising of Orion. The Arabs called it Orion Al-jabar or Al-jawza (giant,giant).

The name Orion () is one of the oldest proper names, the name of the celestial hunter himself. The Greek word (similar to Russian pora) means season, year And hour. Some see the relationship of this word with the name of the musician Arion, who charmed even dolphins with his playing and was saved by them when he was drowning in the sea. As a reward for his art, he was placed in heaven.

The names of the main stars are taken from Arabic: Betelgeuse - from ibt al-jawza (giant's shoulder), Rigel - ridge al-jauza (giant's foot). Bellatrix - from Latin bellatrix (warrior). This female name is associated with astrological ideas: it was believed that women born under the influence of this star are usually happy, although they like to gossip.

Already with a small telescope in the Sword of Orion region you can see a faintly luminous nebula. This is a giant gas and dust complex, inside of which there are many young, newly formed hot, so-called O-stars. It is their powerful UV radiation that excites the glow of the surrounding gas, which we perceive as a diffuse nebula.

There are many double stars in this constellation. This is Rigel, the duality of which can be detected already in a telescope with a lens diameter of about 5 cm; Betelgeuse with satellite 9 m bluish color located at a distance of 2.5 " ; the top star in Orion's Belt, Delta, accessible for observation with the weakest telescope: one star 2.5 m, other 7 m, the distance between them is 53 " . In the Orion Nebula you can see the famous sixfold system of young stars, the so-called Trapezium of Orion (Orion's star). Try to see this amazing system.

Under the “knees” of Orion, low above the horizon, there is a small irregular quadrangle of stars - the constellation Hare. It is clearly visible in the southern regions of Russia.

Above Orion is the constellation Taurus. Orange Aldebaran () - the eye of an angry bull - stared at the hunter who swung his club. To the northwest culminates the beautiful cluster of young and hot stars the Pleiades, and near Aldebaran the small V-shaped cluster of the Hyades.

The Pleiades is a very noticeable cluster, and it is not surprising that our ancestors paid attention to it. Ancient peoples, long before they knew the length of the solar year, were guided by the stars when constructing a calendar and usually began their year with the morning appearance of the Pleiades in the spring before sunrise, and counted winter from the time when the Pleiades began to rise in the evening (autumn). Although only six stars are now visible to the naked eye, in ancient times there were seven in this cluster, and each was given its own name.

Near the zenith is the constellation Perseus, to the east of it is Auriga, and closer to the horizon is Gemini with bright Castor () and Pollux (). The constellations Andromeda and Pegasus are visible to the west of Perseus. Beneath Andromeda is the constellation Triangulum, and the constellation Aries descends in the southwest.

In the northwest, near the zenith, the constellation Cassiopeia is noticeable. This constellation contains an unusual-looking gas nebula, the Bubble Nebula (NGC7635). The image was taken with a very long exposure, through a narrow filter that transmits light emitted by a hydrogen atom in the line ( =
= 6563 ). Thanks to this, in the picture we see the distribution of hydrogen atoms in the form of a bubble. Despite its clear and thin outlines, the bubble has a diameter of about 10 light. years, and its shape is determined by the grandiose processes taking place in the center. This bubble was blown out by a powerful stellar wind from the star located at its center (it is not visible in the photo due to large absorption). Another bright, hot star, located above the center of the bubble, is immersed in a cloud of dust that reflects its light. The powerful stellar wind and the flow of light from this star, with their pressure, pushed out an elongated structure of luminous gas, which at great speed crashed into the dense substance of the molecular cloud surrounding the bubble. This elongated structure of a mixture of gas and dust is clearly visible in the image. The mass of the brightest star is estimated at 10–20 solar masses. The bubble is located at a distance of 11,000 light from us. years. It is interesting to note that our Sun is also a source of stellar (solar) wind. Although the solar wind is very weak, it also formed a bubble at a distance of about 80–100 AU. It was to such a small, on a cosmic scale, distance that the solar wind was able to push the interstellar medium apart. Now the space stations Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 are just approaching the boundary of the bubble and will try to transmit information about the conditions at the boundary between the interstellar medium and the environment formed by the solar wind.

Constellations above the northern part of the horizon (at the latitude of Moscow)

If we look at the northern side of the horizon, we will see at the lower culmination the non-setting constellations Draco and Ursa Major, as well as the lower part of the body of the constellation Hercules. To the east, Big Bear rises, having passed its lower culmination a few hours ago. The constellation Leo, in which Saturn is now located, rises in the northeast, but it can be observed later, best of all around midnight, when it will be at its highest culmination. It is clearly visible through the school telescope, but in the photograph we see much more unusual details. This is not surprising, because... The image was taken from the Cassini automatic interplanetary station, which is currently exploring this planet and its satellites. The photo was taken when Cassini was in the shadow of this giant planet for almost 12 hours, and the planet's disk covered the bright Sun. It can be seen that the night side of Saturn is partially illuminated by the light of the Sun reflected from the rings. In addition, the rings against the background of the planet are quite dark, and to the side of Saturn they are so bright that this made it possible to discover several new unknown rings (although they are barely visible in this image). The E ring is visible in sufficient detail, as well as the ring formed by the recently discovered moon Enceladus by gushing ice. The outermost ring of Saturn is clearly visible. If you look closely, on the left, just above the bright main ring, you can see a faint point - this is our planet Earth.

View of Saturn during its eclipse of the Sun from the Cassini spacecraft (http://antwrp.gsfcnasa.gov/apod/ap061016.html)

Another interesting phenomenon is associated with Saturn, which can be observed on the night of February 2-3 - the occultation of Saturn by the Moon. On this night, the full Moon, moving among the stars in an eastern direction with an angular velocity of about 32 arc. min/h, Saturn will be hidden from us for almost 40 minutes (in Moscow). This coverage can be observed in the European part of Russia and Western Siberia. The table below shows the moments of universal time (UT) of the beginning and end of Saturn's occultation. Winter time in this point of Russia T is related to world time by the formula: T=UT+ n+ 3, where n– time zone number. So, Tyumen is located in the 4th time zone ( n= 4), therefore, according to local winter time in Tyumen, coverage there will begin at the moment T= 23 h 21 m 16 s + 4 h + 3 h = 6 h 21 m 16 s.

Circumstances of Saturn's occultation

City	Start time			End time
City	h	m	With	h	m	With
Moscow	23	16	18	23	53	47
Kazan	23	17	31	00	12	33
S.-Pb.	23	03	27	23	40	14
Tyumen	23	21	16	00	23	55

Circumstances of coverage in other cities can be found in astronomical calendars and the book O.S. Ugolnikova“The sky of the beginning of the century. 2001–2012" (M.: Selyanov A.D., 2000).

PLANETS

Mercury moves directly through the constellation Aquarius. On February 7, the planet's maximum eastern elongation occurs, when it moves away to an angular distance of 18° east of the Sun. Mercury is clearly visible for almost an hour in the evening light, low above the horizon, until the middle of the month. The planet's brightness varies from -0.9 m at the beginning up to +0.8 m in the middle of the month. With a telescope magnified 20 times, in the second ten days of the month you can see the narrow crescent of the planet.

Venus makes direct movement through the constellations Aquarius and Pisces. Its brightness will be -3.8 m, it is visible for a month, for about 3 hours in the rays of the evening dawn. At the beginning of the month, Venus is just east of Mercury, and the two planets are visible at the same time, living up to their name as evening stars.

Mars moves along the constellation Sagittarius and is above the horizon during the daytime, so it cannot be observed.

Jupiter moves through the constellation Ophiuchus, its brightness is almost -2 m, and the angular diameter is about 36 " , so that in a school telescope with a slight magnification you can see interesting details of its surface and four Galilean satellites. Jupiter is visible over 3.5 hours before sunrise.

Saturn moves backward through the constellation Leo, during the opposition on February 10 its brightness will be 0 m, it is visible all night. Saturn is best observed near midnight, when it is highest above the horizon. Its apparent diameter will be about 20 " , therefore, in a school telescope with a magnification of over 10 times, you can examine its rings and even try to see the Cassini failure in the ring.

Uranus makes direct movement through the constellation Aquarius, being next to Mercury. Despite the fact that its shine is +5.9 m and it is above the horizon for about 1.5 hours, it is very difficult to observe it, because he is lost in the rays of the evening dawn.

Neptune moves through the constellation Capricorn. On February 8, it will connect with the Sun, so it will be inaccessible to observation.

METEORS

Avrigids (February): active from February 8 to February 12 with a maximum on February 9 (up to 5 meters per hour). It is convenient to observe the stream in the evening, when the constellation Auriga is high above the horizon.

Virginids active from February 13 to February 21 without a pronounced maximum period (up to 5 meters per hour). Meteors are clearly visible in the second half of the night.

Hydrides active from February 21 to 23 without a pronounced maximum (up to 4 meters per hour). The best time for observation is the second half of the night.

Prof. V.M.CHARUGIN,
MPGU, Moscow

Ivanov, come to the board!

- At the astronomy exam in the 5th year of the physics department of the pedagogical institute: “What are sunspots?” A moment of confusion and the answer: “A sunspot is a depression in the Sun, the shadow from the walls of which falls to the bottom.” The examiner came to his senses only after a few seconds.

V.V. PORFIRYEV

– Astronomy studies airless space as a whole.

– Even after his death, Ptolemy believed that the spherical Earth was at the center of the world.

– Copernicus believed that the Sun is at the center of the Universe, and various creatures move around it.

– A constellation is a group of stars that displays mythological images. This is a part of the sky surrounded by certain edges.

– The colors of the stars are white and bright white.

– An atom consists of a large nucleus around which small positively charged nucleoli accumulate.

– Internal energy is the energy that is located inside the body.

– Sometimes the energy disappears.

– When falling, the ball turns into internal energy.

– Newton’s third law is called the law of reciprocity.

– A heat engine is a device that produces gas to propel cars.

- “Can a Kalashnikov assault rifle be classified as a heat engine?”
A) No, because The engine should be running, and the automatic machine should be “thump!” - and that’s all; b) no, because the gunpowder will start to ignite and the machine gun may break into pieces; V) no, because they don't throw coal at it!

– Harm from an internal combustion engine is pollution of nature and other living beings.

– Vacuum is an air shell.

– If you rub an ebonite stick with a woolen rag, the stick will receive a woolen charge.

– As many advantages as the core have, there are just as many disadvantages.

– Since electrons conduct electricity well, they can be used to make wires.

– Let’s calculate the specific gravity resistance of the conductor.

– The softest – alkaline – metals are usually cut with a knife.

– Under normal conditions, titanium is not affected by air oxygen, sea water, or even Tsarskaya vodka.

– Various metals are used to make aluminum.

– Electrical phenomena need to be studied in order to avoid getting hurt, just in case.

Before describing the starry sky in February, let's remember that although the length of daylight in this month is steadily increasing, the nights are still very long. In mid-latitudes, the dark time of day lasts 13-14 hours. During this time, the Earth manages to rotate more than half a revolution, which means that during the night we can see most of all seasonal constellations. In the evening - autumn and winter, at night - winter and spring. Spring and partly summer - in the morning, before sunrise.

February starry sky in the evening

As dusk sets in, the first February stars appear in the southern sky (to the left of the evening dawn). There are several bright stars here that are part of the so-called winter constellations. Winter constellations are usually called those constellations that are visible in the evenings in the south in winter. (Why in the south? Because the stars rise highest above the horizon, crossing the celestial meridian in the south. At this moment they culminate, as an astronomer would say. Therefore, it is most convenient to observe the constellations and any luminary in general when it is in the south sky.)

Which constellations are traditionally winter constellations? Taurus, Auriga, Eridanus, Canis Major, Hare, Unicorn, Gemini, Canis Minor and, of course, Orion.

The constellation Orion is the brightest and most memorable constellation in the winter sky. Drawing: Stellarium

Constellation Orion- the central winter constellation and the main constellation in the February sky. Its main design consists of seven bright stars, clearly visible even in the city sky. These stars are located very symmetrically. Three stars are located in the center of the constellation, lined up along the same line at the same distance from each other. This is Orion's Belt. The two brightest stars of the constellation are located symmetrically relative to the belt - one above and to the left, the other below and to the right. The one higher is the star Betelgeuse; Its reddish color catches the eye. The one below and to the right is bluish-white Rigel, which, however, in our latitudes often shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.

In the seven-star Orion, as well as in the weaker stars adjacent to it, it is easy to recognize the figure of a hunter: Rigel, together with the star Saif, represent the legs of the mythical hero, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix - the shoulders. The stars to the right of the seven-star mark the hand of Orion, which on ancient maps held a shield or the skin of a killed animal. A chain of stars stretching upward from Betelgeuse is another hand swinging a club.

Starting from the colorful, bright and instantly memorable figure of Orion, you can easily find all the other winter constellations.

Winter constellations surround Orion on all sides. Among them, Canis Major stands out along with the star Sirius, as well as the constellations Taurus, Auriga and Gemini. Drawing: Stellarium

Orion's belt points to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, and with it to constellation Canis Major. If we stretch the Belt line to the right, we will come across the reddish star Aldebaran and the constellation Taurus. Behind Aldebaran you can see the Pleiades - a beautiful star cluster that looks like a tiny bucket. And above the Pleiades, almost at the zenith, a bright yellowish-white star is visible. This is Capella, alpha Auriga.

Included in the constellation Charioteer three more relatively bright stars enter, forming an irregular quadrangle. A compact triangle of 3rd magnitude stars located just below Capella is also part of Auriga. These three stars, together with Capella, form the ancient asterism of the Goat with the Little Goats.

Constellation Eridani, symbolizing the celestial river, is located to the right of Orion - under the constellation Taurus. In mid-latitudes, this vast constellation elongated to the south is only partially visible above the horizon. To view this beautiful but dim constellation, it is better to get out of the city, away from city lights.

The same applies to a small constellation Hare, which is located under the feet of Orion - in mid-latitudes it floats low above the horizon.

Constellation Canis Minor marked by only one bright star, Procyon. Together with Sirius and Betelgeuse, this star forms the Winter Triangle asterism in the sky. Between Sirius and Procyon lies the fabulous Unicorn, a vast but completely inconspicuous constellation.

The Winter Triangle is formed by the stars Betelgeuse, Procyon and Sirius. Drawing: Stellarium

Above the winter triangle, high in the sky, there are two bright stars one above the other. These are the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini. The constellation itself in the city sky looks like an elongated rectangle. But far from the city light, the fainter stars of Gemini also become visible, complementing the pattern of the constellation in such a way that the outlines of the brothers standing in an embrace can be discerned in it. (The names of these brothers are Castor and Pollux; the two brightest stars of Gemini are also named.)

Constellation Gemini. Drawing: Stellarium

Night sky in February

By midnight, the pattern of winter constellations shifts to the west. The constellations Taurus and Orion are leaning toward the horizon; in the south, Gemini and Canis Minor have taken their place.

A constellation rises in the southeast Leo, which can be recognized by a large trapezoid of four stars, at the head of which is the rather bright star Regulus. Between Leo and Gemini there is a dark, starless space. It is occupied by another zodiac constellation - Cancer. You have to be in a really dark place to see it properly!

Constellations Leo and Cancer in the midnight sky of February. Drawing: Stellarium

In the east, another bright star rises above the horizon. This Arcturus, king of the dark spring sky.

Starry sky in February morning

The picture of the morning sky in the last month of winter is not at all similar to the midnight sky. In 6 hours, the celestial sphere makes a third of a revolution, and the stars that shone at midnight in the south, before dawn, either have already gone beyond the horizon or are visible far in the northwest. Among such constellations, visible “to the last,” are the constellations Auriga and Leo.

The western and southern parts of the sky were occupied by dim spring and even some summer constellations. A more or less distinct pattern can be traced only in the constellations Leo, Virgo and Bootes. As we have already said, the Leo figure is based on a trapezoid of four stars. The main stars of Virgo form an irregular quadrangle, with the constellation's brightest star, Spica, in its lower left corner. Finally, the constellation Bootes vaguely resembles a parachute. The orange Arcturus, the brightest star in the northern hemisphere of the sky, acts as a parachutist.

The eastern part of the sky is occupied by the already familiar Great Summer Triangle - three bright stars are quite high when the morning dawn begins to flare up beneath them.

The picture we described is true for the month of February of any year. But sometimes it is “spoilt” by strange bright stars, which can be visible in the zodiac constellations of Pisces and Aries (in the evenings in the west), Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo at night, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Ophiuchus in the morning in the south and southeast .

These strange wandering bright "stars" are, of course, planets! Venus, Jupiter, and Mars, which is near opposition, are especially bright. These planets are much brighter than any of the stars, including Sirius, and therefore can confuse, surprise and even frighten the unlucky observer. (In February 2018, Jupiter is perfectly visible in the morning sky in the constellation Libra.)

The planet Saturn, as well as Mars (at other times), look like bright stars, and therefore are also capable of distorting the patterns of constellations. Mercury is not striking, although it is quite bright, since in mid-latitudes it is observed only against the background of morning or evening dawn.

What to see in the sky in February: stars, clusters and nebulae

What else, besides drawings of constellations, should you pay attention to? Of course, on interesting stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

The starry sky of February is rich in interesting objects. Some of them can be seen even with the naked eye, but if you have binoculars, the list of attractions expands significantly. Below we will briefly list only those that can be seen on January evenings with minimal optical equipment. To find nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters, use a good star atlas or planetarium program (such as the free Stellarium program).

Objects for observation with the naked eye

- perhaps the most famous variable star. Located in the constellation Perseus, it belongs to the class of eclipsing variable stars. The gloss varies from 2.1 m to 3.4 m. An easy object to observe with the naked eye.
Aldebaran- the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Located next to Jupiter. In the early evening it rises in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Has a distinct reddish tint.
Altair- the brightest star in the constellation Aquila (magnitude 0.76 m). In the predawn sky in February it is visible far in the east, low above the horizon. Part of the summer triangle.
Antares- the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Known for its rich red color. It rises in the morning in the southern part of the sky, in mid-latitudes it is very low above the horizon.
Betelgeuse- α Orionis, red supergiant. One of the largest stars known to scientists, its diameter is 1000 times the diameter of the Sun. Wrong variable - the brightness varies within almost 1 m. The distance is approximately 500 sv. years.
Great Orion Nebula (M42)- a bright and beautiful nebula, visible even to the naked eye. The telescope will give you an amazing view. Distance about 1500 sv. years.

The famous Orion Nebula. The picture was taken by the Hubble telescope. Photo: NASA/ESA/M. Robberto (STScI/ESA) et al./APOD

- the brightest star in the Lyra constellation (magnitude 0.03 m). At night it is visible in the northeast, and before sunrise it is observed high in the east at an altitude of over 50° above the horizon. Part of the Great Summer Triangle.
Hyades- a large open cluster in the constellation Taurus. The star Aldebaran surrounds the sky. Its shape resembles the Latin letter V. The distance is about 150 light years from Earth.
- the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus (magnitude 1.25 m). Visible in the morning in the east at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Part of the Great Summer Triangle
Chapel- a bright yellow star, α Aurigae. Gloss 0.08 m. In the evenings it is located in the east at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon, at night - almost at the zenith in the south, in the morning - in the western part of the sky at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Distance 42 St. of the year.
Castor- α Gemini, the second brightest in the constellation after Pollux. Consists of 6(!) stars connected to each other by gravitational forces. Three stars are visible through the telescope. Distance 52 St. of the year.
Pleiades- open cluster in the constellation Taurus. Also known under the names Seven Sisters, Stozhary, Volosozhary. It rises after sunset in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of over 50° above the horizon, in the morning - low above the west. To the naked eye it looks like a small scoop; binoculars show dozens of stars. The distance to Earth is about 400 sv. years.
Pollux- β Gemini and the brightest star of the constellation. Together with Castor, this star symbolizes the mythical twins born from the almighty Zeus and the beautiful Leda. Orange star. Distance 34 St. of the year.
- a star marking the North Pole of the celestial sphere (magnitude 2.0 m). Visible at any time of the year and day from anywhere in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. The height above the horizon is determined by the latitude of the observation location and practically does not change during the day. A perpendicular from the North Star to the horizon points to the Earth's North Pole.
. Formed by three hot white stars - ζ, ε and δ Orionis.
Rigel- a blue supergiant and the brightest star in the constellation Orion. Distance about 850 sv. years. Luminosity - 120,000 luminosities of the Sun.
- the brightest star in the night sky. Rise around 10 pm in the southeast. In the south it is visible around 2 am. Due to its low position above the horizon, it often shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.
β Lira- an eclipsing variable star, the lower right star in the parallelogram of the constellation Lyra. Changes brightness from 3.3 m to 4.3 m with a period of 12.94 days. An optical satellite is visible through binoculars - a bluish star 7.2 m. In February it is good to observe the star late at night and in the morning.
δ Cephei- prototype of Cepheid variable stars. The brightness varies from 3.6 m to 4.5 m with a period of 5.366 days. Visible in the evening high in the sky in the west, at night - at an altitude of 40° above the northwestern horizon.
ε Auriga- one of the most amazing stars in the sky. Double; The satellite is surrounded by a massive disk of dust that eclipses the bright component every 27 years.
ζ Gemini- a well-known variable star. Cepheid. Changes gloss within 3.8-4.4 m with a period of 10 days.
ζ Auriga- eclipsing variable star, period 2.66 years. Consists of a bright orange giant and a hot blue-white star. Distance about 800 sv. years
η Gemini or Pass. Found in Castor's leg. Semiregular and eclipsing variable. Changes gloss within 3.1-3.6 m.
η Cassiopeia- a beautiful double star, visible at its zenith in the evenings. Consists of two stars similar to the Sun. Distance 19 St. years. The distance between components is 12″.
- probably the most famous double star in the sky. It is located on the break of the handle of the Ursa Major bucket. The components are separated by an angular distance of 12 arc minutes and are well separated by the naked eye. In fact, Mizar is a sixfold star system, which includes, in addition to Mizar and Alcor, 4 more stars. One of them can be observed in small amateur telescopes.

Objects to observe with binoculars and a small telescope

h&χ Perseus- double cluster in the constellation Perseus. The naked eye can see an elongated nebulous speck halfway between the star Mirfak (α Perseus) and the constellation Cassiopeia. Visible throughout the night high above the horizon. An excellent object for binoculars and small telescopes.
Collinder 69- open cluster Lambda Orionis. Located in the head of the hunter between the stars Betelgeuse and Bellatrix
R Lyres- semi-regular variable. Brightness changes from 4.0 m to 5.0 m with a period of 46 days. Located near Vega, visible after sunset high in the sky in the west, at night it is in the northwest low above the horizon.
Albireo- a beautiful double star, one of whose components is orange and the other is bluish-green. Can be separated even by small binoculars. Albireo represents the head of the Swan or the base of the Northern Cross, at the opposite end of which is Deneb. Visible in the evening in the west at an altitude of about 40° above the horizon, it sets below the horizon around midnight.

Open cluster M35 in the constellation Gemini. Next to it is the more distant and fainter cluster NGC 2158. Photo: New Forest Observatory

M27- planetary nebula “Dumbbell” in the constellation Chanterelle (see photo above). One of the brightest planetary nebulae in the sky. Clearly visible even with small binoculars above the constellation Sagittarius. In January it is visible in the evenings in the west. The distance is about 1000 sv. years.
M2- a globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius. Visible in the evenings in the south and southwest. Through binoculars it appears as a foggy spherical spot with blurred edges.
M13- one of the most beautiful globular clusters in the sky. Located in the constellation Hercules between the stars η and ζ. It is perfectly visible even in 30 mm binoculars, and in a telescope with an aperture of over 80 mm it breaks up into stars at the edges. In January, the cluster rises in the second half of the night in the northeast and is observed until sunrise.
M15- a bright globular cluster in the constellation Pegasus (magnitude 6.4 m). In the evening it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon, at night half as low in the west. The landmark is the star Epsilon Pegasus.
M31- Andromeda's nebula. The famous spiral galaxy, the most distant object visible to the naked eye. The distance is about 2.5 million light years.
M33- spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. Requires good atmospheric conditions, binoculars with an aperture of over 50 mm and the absence of urban illumination.
M35- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Gemini. It is located at the foot of Castor, not far from the star Propus (eta Gemini). Distance 2800 St. years.
M36- open cluster in the constellation Auriga. It is located near the clusters M37 and M38, almost halfway between the stars β Tauri and Capella. Distance - 4100 sv. years.
M37- a very beautiful open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Located in the middle of the Milky Way. Discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier. Distance - 4400 sv. years.
M38- another open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Distance - 4300 sv. years.
M39- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. Located near Deneb. Contains about 30 stars. Under good conditions it can be seen with the naked eye.
M92- another globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. Gloss 6.5 m. Located almost 9° above M13, it is possible to observe the cluster throughout the night very low above the horizon in the northern part of the sky.
Melotte 20- open cluster α Persei. A beautiful object to observe with binoculars. Surrounds the bright star Mirfak. Distance about 600 sv. years.
- or the cluster of Veronica's Hair. A vast open star cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is located between the Trapezium of Leo and the star Arcturus. It is clearly visible to the naked eye in a rural sky, but is most beautiful when viewed through small binoculars. Distance about 300 sv. years.

Open cluster Melott 111 or Coma Cluster.

In February 2017, 5 planets, 22 asteroids brighter than +12 magnitude* and four comets will be available for observation. This month will be very rich in astronomical events. About them - in this article.

The moon on February 4 enters the first quarter phase, on the 11th the full moon, and on the 18th the last quarter and the new moon on the 26th. On February 3, the Moon will cover the dwarf planet Ceres; this phenomenon is not visible in the Novgorod region. On February 5, there will be a conjunction of the Moon and Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. On February 11, after midnight, there will be a penumbral lunar eclipse. This phenomenon is almost imperceptible due to a slight drop in the brightness of the lunar disk.

Mercury is not visible due to its low position above the horizon.

Venus is visible in the evenings just after sunset as a very bright white star in the south, southwest in the constellation Pisces for 4 hours after sunset. Mars will be near Venus throughout the month (see photo). Gloss -4.5. The phase of the planet gradually decreases, and the apparent diameter increases. At the end of the month, even through binoculars, Venus will look like a small, thin crescent.

Mars is visible low in the south, southwest for more than four hours after sunset as a not very bright orange star. The planet moves through the constellation Pisces. Venus will be near Mars throughout the month (see photo), and on February 26 the planet will join Uranus (the distance between the planets will be less than 1°). Planet brightness +1.2.

Jupiter can be seen after midnight and in the morning in the east as a bright yellow star in the constellation Virgo. The planet's visibility period is increasing every day. Already through binoculars, the Galilean satellites are visible near Jupiter: Ganymede, Callisto, Europa and Io. Gloss -2.3.

Saturn is visible in the mornings in the southeast as a fairly bright star in the constellation Ophiuchus. The planet's brightness is +0.5.

Uranus is visible in the evenings in the constellation Pisces as a +5.9 magnitude star. To find the planet you need a star map and at least binoculars. At the end of the month, the planet will pass close to Mars and it can be used as a guide to find it.

Neptune is not visible due to its proximity to the Sun.

In February, 22 asteroids have a magnitude greater than +12, the brightest being Vesta (the constellation Cancer and Gemini, +6.6), Ceres (the constellation Cetus and Pisces, +8.9), Irene (the constellation Leo, +9.3) and Metis (constellation Leo, +9.4). To find all asteroids you need binoculars, often a telescope and a star map. Any asteroid in a telescope looks like an ordinary star, which moves among the stars day by day.

The comets available for observation will be: Encke (magnitude +6, constellation Pisces, near Uranus, Mars, after Venus), Honda-Mrkosa-Paidushakova (magnitude +8), Johnson (magnitude +10, constellation Bootes and Hercules) and Tuttle-Giacobini -Kresak (magnitude +10, constellations Cancer and Leo). To find all the mentioned comets you need a telescope and a star map. Comets are visible through a telescope as gray hazy spots of varying brightness and size. The presence of a tail is optional.

In the photo: Venus (the bright star on the right) and Mars (to the left and above) in the evening sky on January 21. Photo by the author.

* The “magnitude” or “stellar magnitude” of a celestial object is a measure of its brightness. The lower the magnitude, the brighter the celestial object. Accordingly, if we say “brilliance increases,” then its numerical value decreases. Thus, the Sun has a magnitude of -26, the full Moon -12, the stars of the Ursa Major bucket on average +2. A person in urban areas sees stars up to magnitude +4, in rural areas up to +6. The limit of binoculars (in the absence of sky illumination) is +8...+10, of a small telescope (in the absence of sky illumination) +12..+13.