Title: February Skywatch Highlights
Location: Hawaiian Islands
Date / Time: February 2008
Comments: The month begins with a spectacular predawn conjunction of VENUS & JUPITER on February 1st. The two brightest planets are above the southeastern horizon by 6:00 AM beginning in late January. Watch how they appear closer & closer to each other each morning until, on Feb. 1st, they appear just 0.6 degrees apart, slightly more than the width of a Full Moon. Although the planets appear close to each other in the sky, VENUS is far closer to Earth (124 million miles away compared with 562 million miles for JUPITER) & shines brighter than the much larger gas giant. SATURN reaches opposition on Feb.24th, when it lies opposite the Sun in our sky & remains visible all night. This is a good time to view the ringed planet as it lies closest to Earth (771 million miles) & appears biggest & brightest. Watch for Saturn rising in the east shortly after sunset, with the stars of Leo, the Lion. On Feb.1st, you'll find MARS glowing brightly,high in the southeastern sky after sunset, between the stars which mark the horns of Taurus the Bull. Mars will appear to move eastward and, on the 29th, the Red Planet will form a nearly perfect equilateral triangle with 2 red giant stars; Betelgeuse (which marks Orion's shoulder) & Aldebaran (the eye of the Bull). There will be a total lunar eclipse on Feb.20th, tho' unlike the August 2007 eclipse, we will be unable to view this one from Hawaii, as it occurs before the Moon rises here. (We WILL be able to see the end of the PARTIAL eclipse, from Moon-rise at 6:40PM HST until 7:10). If you happen to be on the West Coast mainland, the eclipse will begin at 5:43 PST, just as the Sun sets. Totality starts at 7:01 & lasts 51 minutes. Then it will take another 78 minutes for the Moon to leave the Earth's shadow (partial eclipse). (Adjust for other mainland time zones accordingly). For further details and a February sky map, visit Bishop Museum Planetarium www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium (bishopmuseum.org).

Maintained by Roz Reiner - Kauai, Hawaii

 

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