Shropshire sky at night – February
When first observing you may be disheartened as to how few stars you can see.
However wait for 20 minutes for your eyes to adapt, and you will be astounded at how your night vision improves. The reason for this dark adaption is that your pupils grow larger, letting in more light, but more importantly there is a build of rhodopsin in the retina which is the chemical that responds to light. So wrap up warm, avoid bright lights and look up.
Constellation for February is Canis Major, dominated by Sirius, (the dog star) the brightest star in the sky, which is the larger of Orion’s two hunting dogs (Canis Minor lies to the left of Orion) spotted chasing Lepus, the Hare, a very faint constellation below Orion. Mythology suggests their main target is Taurus the bull.
Follow a line from Sirius through Orion’s belt and you will spot the heavenly prey on the other side. To the right of Sirius is the star Mirzam, meaning ‘the announcer’ in Arabic. Its early presence indicates the appearance of Sirius, one of the heavens' most revered stars. Just below Sirius is Messier 41, an open cluster of sparkling stars right out of the top drawer, complementing the scintillating dog star, a very attractive observing proposition.
Star of many books and films Betelegeuse is this month’s object. Being one of the biggest and most luminous stars known, if it replaced the Sun, it would swamp the planets all the way to the asteroid belt and even reach Jupiter. Being over 100,000 times brighter and about 1,000 times wider than the Sun, Betelegeuse is a red supergiant indicating it is a star near the end of its life. Currently observed on the right shoulder of Orion, the orange star will exit the cosmic scene in a spectacular supernova explosion some time in the next 100,000 years, to shine as brightly in our skies as our full moon.
The Sun, Moon, and planets all follow a similar path across the sky known as the ecliptic plane. Although many of the planets appear too close to the Sun you might catch a glimpse at sunrise or sunset, if you have a flat horizon. However the remote ice giant, Neptune, is an evening object that can be spied in the constellation of Aries for the first half of the month.
Make a special effort on 18th when, above the Moon, a reddish ‘star’ is in fact Mars, while above them both lie the Pleiades – the perfect photo opportunity, so reach for your smart phones.
Although there are no named meteor showers to observe this month the first and last weeks will offer you the chance to spot the International Space Station, which is only visible because it reflects sunlight as it orbits our home planet. Viewing opportunities depend on your location and the orbit of the ISS. Arm yourself with a good online almanac and a compass to enjoy your hunting.
Steve Szwajkun FRAS, Shropshire Astronomical Society
