Star Calendar
February 2017
Star Calendar Planets:
Moon crosses the ecliptic (Moon node) when near syzygy with the Sun twice this month. Neither eclipse will be noticeable to us though. The Full Moon will rise in the penumbra of Earth’s shadow, will only be slightly less bright – but no hard shadow edge. At New Moon the Moon shadow’s tip will not quite reach the Earth’s surface such that the Sun will appear as a ring of light – for those along a path in the southern hemisphere.
Mercury drops out of morning sky to cross far side of Sun on March 7th.
Venus is a waning crescent that grows taller by the day. She shines to cover the largest portion of our sky on the 17th but is nearer, and brightest, on the following day. Thereafter her wane out-does her drawing nearer – but she remains sensational. Last month I saw my shadow cast by Venus; walking down a snow-covered lane (before the Moonrise) with Venus at my back.
Sun is halfway from winter solstice to vernal equinox and crosses the sky as it does in November. Astronomically winter is half over, climatically – by hysteresis of heat absorption – not so. Oh well.
Mars cruises Pisces this month as he sets out on his super-circum-zodiacal tour before making his next loop in 2018.
Jupiter pauses to begin this year’s loop in Virgo that will culminate with opposition in April.
Saturn enters the region of his next loop, vacillating between Ophiucus and Saggitarius.
Star Calendar Days:
|
31 |
Moon Venus & Mars astride the vernal equinox in evening |
|
1 |
Sunrise/set in Spring Valley at 7:07/17:13 (10h6m) |
|
2 |
Candlemas/Groundhog Day; midway twixt solstice and equinox |
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Venus nearest Mars for this appearance, WSW in evening |
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|
5 |
Moon with Aldebaran high in SSW in evening |
|
6 |
Jupiter stationary to retrograde Jupiter nearest Spica, ESE at 11PM or SW at 5AM |
|
10-11 |
Full Snow Moon at 19:33 rises in penumbral eclipse (not noticeable) |
|
11 |
Equation of Time at year’s minimum, clocks 14m15s ahead of Sun Moon below Regulus |
|
15 |
Moon, Jupiter & Spica rise at 11PM |
|
16 |
Moon, Jupiter & Spica culminate (highest ans South) at 4AM |
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17 |
Venus shows maximal sky-area of illumination despite 26.7% crescent phase |
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18 |
Venus brightest – because it’s nearer, though 25.9% crescent |
|
20 |
Moon above Saturn in the steam of the teapot, 5:30AM Venus nearest to Sun (its perihelion) |
|
21 |
Sun passes Moon’s descending node (where paths of Sun and Moon cross) |
|
23 |
Jupiter makes second (of three) pass at Spica (conjunct in Right Ascension) |
|
26 |
New Moon makes annular eclipse for South Pacific/America/Atlantic/Africa |
|
28 |
Sunrise/set in Spring Valley at 6:32/17:46 (11h14m) Moon, Venus & Mars again, West around 6:45PM |
