February is a great month for the early rising skygazers. Venus has been bright in the morning sky all year, rising just before the Moon.
In the minutes before dawn this week, Venus will rise to the upper left of the waning crescent Moon and will be joined by Mars.
This graphic shows Venus, Earth and its Moon, and Mars. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ESA
Over the coming weeks, Venus will shift towards Mars until they appear to merge into one another, just a half a degree apart, on Feb. 22.
To view this planetary illusion, you’ll need to find a place with a clear view of the western horizon – few to no tall trees or buildings.
For more skygazing opportunities, including observing spiral galaxy M81, check out the video below from Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s monthly “What’s Up” video series:
By Lauren Perkins
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
May is a great month for stargazing with a host of celestial events happening in the morning and evening skies.
On May 17, a slim crescent moon will rise about an hour before the Sun. From much of the United States and Canada, you’ll be able to see Jupiter appearing very close to the Moon. In some southern U.S. states, Jupiter will pass behind the Moon as the pair rises in morning twilight. From western states, Jupiter will be behind the Moon, in occultation, as the duo rise. Jupiter will start to emerge from behind the Moon as the Sun comes up. To observe this event, you’ll need a clear view of the horizon, and a pair of binoculars will be essential as many locations in the U.S. will be in daylight during this occultation.
Astronaut Scott Kelly observes three planets and Earth’s Moon in an impressive display while conducting long-duration space flight research aboard the International Space Station. The image reveals Earth’s Moon, Venus, Jupiter, and Earth’s crescent, arranged from bottom to top. Credit: NASA/Scott Kelly
Following sunset from May 22 through 24, you’ll be able to witness a close grouping of the Moon, Venus, and Mars in the western sky. The Moon will sit between the two planets on the 23rd. Venus has been rising higher in the sky each evening for the past few months, but in May, it’ll reach its highest point in the western sky.
For those stargazing from the Southern Hemisphere, there are some key differences in the night sky compared to the Northern Hemisphere. For instance, there’s no counterpart to the North Star in the Southern Hemisphere, and the seasonal star patterns that a northern observer are familiar with appear flipped upside down when viewed in southern skies.
Some celestial objects are only visible from Earth’s Southern Hemisphere, such as central portions of our Milky Way galaxy, left, plus the two Magellanic Clouds above and to the left of the observatory dome, as shown in this photo taken at Cerro Paranal in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Credits: ESO / Y. Beletsky
Two entire galaxies, the large and small Magellanic Clouds, can be easily observed in the southern sky with the unaided eye. These are dwarf galaxies that orbit our own Milky Way galaxy.
If you are interested in what else is in the sky for May, check out the latest “What’s Up” video from Jet Propulsion Laboratory:
Enjoy these stellar spectacles as you watch the skies!
This month spot the Moon together with Mars and Venus, along with the flickering star Fomalhaut, which had itself a planet…until it didn’t! Check out the video below produced by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to learn more.
