Welcome to this issue of
Qué tal in the Current Skies

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.
Scroll down for more web site information, resources, and a link to the previous month issue.

Volume 24          Issue 2
February 2018
   Month at a Glance:
This month being only 28 days long is wrapped in full Moons with the full Moon of January 31st and the full Moon of March 2nd. During February the planet viewing is essentially during the morning before the Sun rises with Jupiter, Mars, then Saturn rising in that order up from the from the eastern horizon. Mercury and Venus both start reappearing as evening planets toward the end of the month with viewing getting better next month.
Click here for a printable month at a glance calendar.

This animated graphic is set for 6 am CST on February 15th and shows how the morniing planets, like the rest of the 8 planets have orbits that are not that greatly inclined from the plane of the ecliptic.

Mercury moves into superior conjunction, on the other side of the Sun, and will not be visible for viewing until later next month when it reappears in the evening skies.


Venus slowly reappears after sunset this month by will still be relatively close to the Sun and thus not that easily seen.
Mars rises several hours before the Sun rises and is easily seen over the southeastern horizon at sunrise.
Dwarf Planet Ceres is sort of visible having an apparent magnitude of 6.5. Look high over the southern horizon about 10-15o above the junction of the inverted y-shape for Cancer the Crab.
Jupiter rises several hours before the Sun rises and is easily seen over the southeastern horizon at sunrise.
Saturn rises a couple of hours before the Sun and is visible above the southeast horizon at sunrise.

Star Maps and More
Visit bobs-spaces for regular updates on what is up.
Contact Me

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February Sky Calendar
01. Moon Near Regulus
02. Dwarf Planet Ceres Closest to Earth
05. Moon Near Spica
07. Last Quarter Moon `
Moon Near Jupiter
09. Moon Near Mars
10. Jupiter at Western Quadrature
11. Moon at Apogee - 405,700 km `
Moon Near Saturn
14. Moon at Descending Node
15. New Moon `
Partial Lunar Eclipse •
Celebrate Galileo Day
16. Sun Does Enter the Astronomical Sign of Aquarius ` Moon Near Venus and Neptune
17. Mercury at Superior Conjunction
18. The Sun Does Not Enter the Astrological Sign of Pisces
22. Moon Near The Pleiades
23. First Quarter Moon `
Moon Near The Hyades
27. Moon at Perigee - 363,932 km
28. Moon at Ascending Node
Moon Near Regulus
February 1February 1 - 6:30 am CST
February 5February 5 - 6:30 am CST
February 7February 7 - 6:30 am CST
February 9February 9 - 6:30 am CST
February 16February 16 - 6:15 pm CST
February 22February 22 - 9:00 pm CST
February 23February 23 - 9:00 pm CST
February 28February 28 - 9:00 pm CST
February Astronomical SunFebruary Astronomical Sun Sun enters Aquarius on February 16
February Astrological SunFebruary Astrological Sun Sun does not enter Pisces on February 17
Apogee MoonApogee Moon - 11 February
Perigee MoonPerigee Moon - 27 February
Above the Solar System at 10 day Intervals

Heliocentric Coordinaes

Name February 05 February 15 February 25
Mercury 287o 12' 319o 29' 000o 49'
Venus 331o 13' 347o 04' 002o 58'
Earth 136o 07' 146o 15' 156o 20'
Mars 210o 17' 215o 04' 219o 54'
Ceres 221o 18' 223o 45' 225o 47'
Jupiter 221o 14' 222o 00' 222o 45'
Saturn 271o 34' 271o 52' 272o 10'
Plot planet positions using polar graph paper that you can download from this web site - or at that web site create your own.

Local Time CST (UT-6)


Some Astronomy Web Links


    Click here.

Credits and Privacy

Click here to read the Privacy Statement for this web site (I don't bite!!), and about this web site and me.

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