Volume 18 -- Issue 2 Planet Watch -- February 2012 Mercury is not visible until the last half of the month as it moves out from behind the Sun and superior conjunction. Start watching for the innermost planet over the western horizon shortly after sunset. Venus continues to shine brightly over the western horizon at sunset as it sets a little later each evening while it moves further toward the west away from the Sun. Mars rises around mid-evening this month and continues to shine brightly to the left, east, from Regulus in Leo. Mars will brighten noticeably this month and grow larger in apparent diameter as it moves toward opposition early next month. The 'red planet' continues its retrograde motion this month. Click here to see a table showing the coordinate positions and distance from Earth during the retrograde motion period. Jupiter shines about half as bright as Venus from its location above the southwestern horizon at sunset. Watch for these two bright planets move closer to each other this month as they move toward a close 'encounter' next month. Saturn rises around midnight this momth and is easily seen to the left and above the bright blue-white star Spica in Virgo. On the 8th Saturn begines its retrograde loop. Comet Gararadd (C/2000 P1) may reach a maximum apparant magnitude of 7 this month meaning that under dark enough skies it should be visible using binocluars and certainly visible using a telescope. The comet will track from near the 'Keystone' of Hercules across Draco and the Little Dipper as this animated graphic shows. Watch toward the end of the animation for the stars of the Big Dipper to swing into view on the left side of the graphic. Each screen change is one day. On the morning of February 19 the comet will be at maximum brightness of 7.03 and will be close to 3rd magnitude Aldhibain in Draco. If you imagine the two brightest stars in the cup of the Little Dipper as pointer stars then they will be pointing toward Alhibain and the comet on the 19th. Click here to see a graphic set for mid-month showing the solar system as seen from an overhead perspective.