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Volume 18 -- Issue 2
February 2012
Welcome to this issue of Qué tal. Here you will find useful observing information
about the visible planets, our Moon and other
moons, the Sun, as well as various 'things' celestial.
Among
these web pages you will find monthly star maps for either the northern
or southern hemisphere that are suitable for printout. Animated
images are utilized to illustrate celestial motions such as orbital
motions of the planets, and other solar orbiting objects or apparent
and real motions along the ecliptic and the local horizon. Regular
features include plotting the monthly positions of the visible planets
using heliocentric coordinates; following moon phases; conjunctions; the sun's
apparent motion and the Earth's real motion along the ecliptic.
This month there are several planets visible, with Venus and Jupiter sort of dominating the evening skies
over the southwestern horizon. Keep an eye on these two as they move closer to each other toward a close conjunction
next month. Later in the evening and then shortly after midnight Mars and then Saturn rise and
remain very visible for the remaining night hours.
Mercury moves from behind the Sun and superior conjunction into the evening skies and gradually becomes visible over the
western horizon at sunset toward the end of the month.
Depending on your time zone, there may be no first quarter Moon this month!
Comet Alert: Comet Garradd (C/2009 P1) is estimated to reach an apparant magnitude of around 7 meaning that it could be
seen in binoculars and certainly telescopes.
Tell someone about Qué tal?
in the Current Skies. Click here.
