Southern Skywatch February 2019 edition is now out!

Morning twilight sky on Friday, February 1 looking east as seen from Adelaide at 5:34 ACDST (60 minutes before sunrise). Venus is bright and is close to the crescent Moon.  Jupiter is above Venus and Saturn below it.

The left upper insert inset shows the telescopic view of Venus at this time. the lower left insert shows the telescopic view of Jupiter at the same scale and the lower right that of Saturn. The previous morning the crescent Moon was close to Jupiter, the following morning the crescent Moon will be close to Saturn.

Similar views will be seen elsewhere in Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes before sunrise).


The February edition of Southern Skywatch is now up.

Mercury  is in the evening sky but too close to the horizon to see in the twilight.

Venus is climbing higher in the morning skies and is close to the crescent Moon on the 1st.  In even small telescopes it is a "gibbous moon"shape. Venus is close to some interesting clusters and nebulae from the 2nd to the 12th. Venus is close to Saturn in the morning sky on the 19th

Jupiter is close to waning Moon on the 28th.

 Mars is close to the waxing Moon on the 10-11th. Mars and Uranus are closest on the 19th.

Saturn climbs higher in the morning sky chasing then catching Venus on the 19th.




Comet C/2018 Y1 may be visible in binoculars.

February 1, crescent Moon near Venus.

February 2 crescent Moon close to Saturn. February 10-11; Mars close to the waxing Moon. February 28; waning Moon close to Jupiter.

February 5; Moon at Apogee; February 19 Moon at perigee (near perigee full Moon, the second so called "super Moon" of this year, with full Moon on the 20th, this year is the best perigee/agpogee full Moon combination until 2032)