1. Highlighting the Near and Deep Sky
What’s Up E W
Highlighting the Near and Deep Sky
February , 2018 S

2. General Information February 2018
Among this month’s celestial happenings:
A subtle glow accompanies sunset for a couple of weeks.
Clocks put the pedal to the metal to outrun the Sun.
We take a peek (or is it a poke?) at astrology.
Sunset Range: 5:44 p.m. (February 1st) to 6:13 p.m. (February 28th).
End of Astronomical Twilight*: 7:14 p.m. (February 1st) to 7:40 p.m. (February 28th).
* This is “full darkness” – the sun has reached 18° below the horizon. It’s usually dark enough for observing about a half hour before this.

3. Moon Phases
February 2018
Wed., 7th – Last Quarter (Fri./Sat. observing opportunities Feb. 9th/10th)
Thurs., 15th – New Moon (Fri./Sat. observing opportunities Feb. 16th/17th)
Fri., 23rd – First Quarter
No Full Moon -- ???
Roughly speaking:
First Quarter Moon is highest at sunset and sets at midnight
Full Moon rises at sunset and is in the sky all night
Last (“Third”) Quarter Moon rises at midnight and is highest at dawn
New Moon sets at sunset and is absent from the sky all night

4. Celestial Events February 2018
Fri., 2nd – For the next two weeks, try to spot the tall cone of the Zodiacal Light in the west after sunset from dark sites.
Sun., 11th – Equation of time is at minimum for 2018, 14 min sec. (clocks are ahead of the Sun).
Sun., 11th – Moon at apogee; distance Earth-radii.
Mon., 12th – Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and thin crescent Moon line-up in the SE before dawn. Compare Mars’ and Antares’ colors, both mag. 1, 5º apart .
Wed., 14th, 9:06 PM EST – Partial solar eclipse (lower South America and Antarctica; our next eclipse is the total lunar one Jan. 20/21, 2019).
Fri., 16th – Sun enters Aquarius. (Astrologically, the Sun enters Pisces on February 18th, but astronomically on March 12th.)
Tue., 27th – Moon at perigee; distance Earth-radii (10.3% closer than on the 11th).
Image Credit: Dylan O’Donnell, 2015
Image Credit: Guy Ottewell, 2016

5. (~30 min. before full darkness)
February 15th, 7:00 p.m.
(~30 min. before full darkness)
For tonight, Jan. 15th, 6:30 p.m. is about 30 min. before full darkness. E W
Uranus
Neptune
Star Gazers Online - YouTube S

6. What’s Up programs are posted on the RVAS Website!
Find them under “Tips and Topics” or at:
Questions
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