Astroblog: February 2025

Tuesday, February 04, 2025

Thursday February 6 to Thursday February 13

The Full Moon is Wednesday February 12. Saturn, Venus, Jupiter and Mars are visible all together (briefly) in the evening sky and lined up with the Moon. The Moon is near Jupiter on the 6th and 7th, then Mars on the 9th and 10th. Jupiter is past opposition and is visible all evening long. Mars is rising in the evening sky, and is visible all night long. Mercury is lost in the twilight. Fading Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is still visible in binoculars.

The Full Moon is Wednesday February 12.

Western evening sky on Saturday, February 8 as seen from Adelaide at 21:16 ACDST (60 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen).

Venus is readily visible from early twilight to when the sky is fully dark, although its sets shortly after. You will need a clear, level horizon to see Venus when the sky becomes fully dark. Venus is drawing away to Saturn, which is becoming harder to see in the horizon murk.

The insets are the telescopic views of Venus and Saturn at this time.

Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) is visible in binoculars in the evening twilight above Saturn and Venus. While the nucleus has disintegrated the tail is still visible but a shadow of its former self. For more details and spotter charts see my Comet C/2025 G3 page.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at the equivalent local time (60 minutes after sunset).

Northern evening sky on Friday, February 7 as seen from Adelaide at 21:51 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset), Jupiter is in the north near with the waxing Moon forming a line with it and the red star Aldebaran.

The inset is the telescope view of Jupiter at this time. (click to embiggen). Another new storm has broken out on Jupiter near the first one and may become visible in small telescopes.

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

North-eastern sky on Sunday, February 9 as seen from Adelaide at 21:49 ACDST (90 minutes after sunset, click to embiggen). Mars forms a triangle with Castor and Pollux. The moon is close to the triangle.

The inset is the telescope view of Mars at this time. (click to embiggen).

Similar views will be seen from the rest of Australia at roughly the equivalent local time (90 minutes after sunset).

Whole sky on Saturday, February 8 as seen from Adelaide at 21:50 ACDST, 90 minutes after sunset (click to embiggen).

Four bright classical planets are visible between Nautical and Astronomical twilight. Saturn is low above the western horizon and near to Venus. Saturn and Venus are just setting. Jupiter is in the north. Mars is in the north-east. The planets are outlined so you can see where Uranus and Neptune are in the lineup but not visible to the unaided eye. Pluto is deep in the twilight.

Orion the hunter is high in the north.

The Southern Cross is rising in the Southern sky. The moon is waxing to full and the fainter clusters and nebula are hard to see.

Elsewhere in Australia will see a similar view at the equivalent time (90 minutes after sunset).

Mercury is lost in the morning twilight.

Venus is lowering in the evening twilight and is readily visible. In the evening Venus is drawing away from Saturn.

Mars is rising in the evening sky. Mars was at opposition, when it is biggest and brightest as seen from Earth, on January the 16th and is visible all night long. The Moon is near Mars on the 9th and 10th.

Jupiter is high in the the evening sky when the sky is fully dark. It is close near the waxing moon on the 6th and 7th.

Saturn is lowering in the evening sky drawing away from Venus.Saturn is soon lost in the twilight.

Printable PDF maps of the Eastern sky at 10 pm AEST, Western sky at 10 pm AEST. For further details and more information on what's up in the sky, see Southern Skywatch.

Star Map via Virtual sky. Use your mouse to scroll around and press 8 when your pointer is in the map to set to the current time.

Cloud cover predictions can be found at SkippySky.

Here is the near-real time satellite view of the clouds (day and night) http://satview.bom.gov.au/

Labels: weekly sky

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 7:09 am 0 comments

Monday, February 03, 2025

Seeing the Lunar X, Wednesday, February 5, 2025


The Lunar X and V (indicated) as visible in telescopic views. Click to embiggen for a clearer view.	Western evening sky on Wednesday February 5 as seen from Adelaide at 21:43 ACDST	Western evening sky on Wednesday February 5 as seen from Brisbane at 20:19 AEST

The Lunar X (also known as the Werner X) and the Lunar V will be visible this Wednesday as the moon reaches Firt Quarter. The Lunar X is a chiaroscuro effect in which strong contrasts of light and shadow create the appearance of a letter 'X' on the rim of the Lunar craters Blanchinus, La Caille and Purbach and a letter V from the rim of the crater Ukert, along with several smaller craters.

The X and V are seen at first quarter, visible on the lunar surface for about 4 hours. However, the Moon is not always above the horizon from a given vantage point when this happens. This month is good for Australian observers

Lunar X occurs on Wednesday February 5, 08:13 UT, 21:13 AEDST, 20:13 AEST, 20:43 ACDST, 19:43 ACST, 16:13 AWST). This is later than official first Quarter which occurs at 18:32 ACDST.

This is a telescope (and maybe good binoculars) only event. For the west coast the start of the Lunar X occurs when the sun is up, but the X is still visible 3 hours later in the deep twilight, with the Moon being 34° above the horizon, central states see it at 22° above the horizon, and for the east coast at 20° above the horizon.

Upcoming Lunar X' s are shown below:

Dates and time Lunar X and V are visible. Typically visible from about 4hours from the starting time, times in colour are daylight saving times.

Date	UT	AEST	ACST	AWST
Feb 5	08:13	21:13	20:43	16:13
Apr 5	12:43	22:43	22:17	20:43
June 3	13:18	23:18	22:30	21:18
Aug 1	10:57	20:57	20:17	18:57
Sep 29	08:46	18:46	18:16	16:46
Nov 27	10:43	21:43	21:15	18:43