The Sky this Month

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Sky Calendar --  Feb 2006

2 Saturn 0.6° from Beehive cluster at 0h UT. Mag. -0.2.
5 First Quarter Moon at 6:29 UT.
5 Moon near Mars at 21h UT. Mag. +0.3.
6 Moon very near the Pleiades at 7h UT. Occultation from Japan, Hawaii, and western North America.
7 Moon near Aldebaran at 1h UT.
10 Moon near Pollux at 15h UT.
11 Moon near Saturn at 17h UT. Mag. -0.2.
13 Full Moon at 4:44 UT. The full Moon of February is called the "Snow Moon", "Hunger Moon" or "Wolf Moon".
13 Moon near Regulus at 17h UT.
14 Moon at apogee (farthest from Earth) at 1h UT (distance 406,351 km; angular size 29.4').
14 Venus brightest at 8h UT. Mag. -4.6.
18 Mars 2.3° from the Pleiades at 2h UT. Mag. +0.6. A nice view in binoculars.
18 Moon very near Spica at 5h UT. Occultation visible from western central Africa.
20 Moon near Jupiter at 5h UT. Mag. -2.1. Over the next 10 days, use binoculars or a telescope to watch Jupiter approach the star Nu Librae (mag. 5.2). Only 3.3' apart on 1 March.
21 Last Quarter Moon at 7:17 UT.
21 Moon very near Antares at 21h UT. Occultation visible from western Australia.
24 Mercury at greatest elongation, 18° east from the Sun at 5h UT. Mag. -0.4, low in west.
25 Moon near Venus at 1h UT. Mag -4.6.
27 Moon at perigee (closest to Earth) at 20h UT (distance 356,885 km; size 33.5').
28 New Moon at 0:31 UT. Beginning of lunation 1029.
Zodiacal light. Late February is the best time of the year to look for the zodiacal light (caused by sunlight reflected off meteoric dust in the plane of the solar system). Choose a clear, moonless night, about 1 to 2 hours after sunset, and look along the ecliptic in the west for a large triangular-shaped glow extending up from the horizon.

All times Universal Time (UT). (Swedish time = UT + 1 hour)

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Do not forget to check the Ten Commandments for the Amateur Astronomer.