Post #212554 by PoisonIvy on Fri, Feb 3, 2006 10:14 PM

Updates from a close friend....I don't know, thought some might find it interesting. Saturn was as clear as a bell on Wednesday evening through a high power scope.

Hurling through the Cosmos
with cactusman
OK Gang... let's go find us some planets !

Not much going on this Month outside of some great opportunities to find four different planets using the moon as a reference point. This is a good system for you astronomers in urban locations because what presents in your case is all the principal stars without all that Milky Way stuff to get in your way...

Let's start with Mars: Moon passes 2 degrees North of Mars on the 5th, so, take a look and make a mental note of where Mars is in relation to the other stars that are visible during that First Quarter Moon that you're looking up at just after dark. Yep, that's Mars alright, right near the Moon. "OK, what other stars ?", you might ask... Well, notice a procession of bright stars beginning with Mars as you look to the left ( East ) and you will probably be seeing two Red Giant stars Aldeberan, then Betelgeuse which actually do look a bit reddish and are a bit dimmer at present than Mars.
Now the thing is that you have the sky mapped for right now, and, through the rest of the Month as opportunity or the need arises you will be able to find Mars again, although you will notice it is setting earlier and earlier in the West each night, and growing dimmer as well.

Fine. What's this "degrees" thing ?? Glad you asked !

We humans come equipped with measuring apparatus straight from the factory, for example, the foot. How tall is that horse ?
How the heck do I know what a degree is in sky measurement ?
Well, try holding your pinky finger out at arm's length and looking at that as a short distance across the sky and you my are looking at roughly one degree !! Three fingers, 5 degrees ! Do the "Hook'em Horn's" sign (or if you a big fan of Ozzy) and you have about ten degrees. So this is what you would expect to see as a distance from the Moon to Mars on the 5th: approximatly one middle finger ! So, I expect all you Junior Astronomers out there
the evening of the 5th locating that planet !!!
Similar opportunities, Scouts :
Moon passes 4 degrees North of Saturn on the 11th,
Moon passes 5 degrees South of Jupiter on the 20th, late night show only, sorry
Moon passes 10 degrees South of Venus on the 24th, more like before Dawn on the 25th, actually...
And also watch for Venus all this Month in the Eastern Sky at Dawn, it will be it's brightest for the year on the 17th.
I hope you get a chance to catch the night sky this Month in any case just because the Winter constellations are spectacular and rising early enough to enjoy a quick look before Dancing with the Stars comes on, Jim...

Good skies, Cactusman

[ Edited by: PoisonIvy 2006-02-03 22:16 ]