Monday, February 16th, 2009

What’s Where Tonight

February 17, 2009

Planets:

5:00 AM ….   The Moon will be rising  in the South at about 30° above the Horizon.

6:00 PM…..   Venus will be very bright in the South Southwest just at 30° above the horizon. Venus will set at around  8:00 PM.  

9:00 PM ….  Saturn will be rising from the East, It will be at about 20° above the  

                        Horizon. Saturn will be high in the Southern Sky ( about 55°) at

                        about 1:00 AM and set at around Sunrise.

Stars and Constellations: 

2:00 AM …    A very bright star, Vega, will be in the Northeast at about 20° above the horizon. These are the last days of the Summer Triangle consisting of Deneb, Altair and Vega. They will be visable at about 5:00 AM.

7:00 PM …    Orion will be overhead in the South at about 50°.

9:00 PM …    Orion will be at 40° above the Horizon in the Southwest

9:00 PM …    Sirius will be about 30° above the horizon. It will be to the left of Orion (follow a line from the three stars that form the “Belt of Orion”).

9:00 PM …    The Pleiades (7 sisters) star cluster will be visible in the West Northwest at about 45° above the horizon. It will be to the right of Orion; follow the belt of Orion until you see a small star cluster.

9:00 PM …    Cassiopeia will be in the Northwest. Polaris is the bright star to the right of Cassiopeia.

9:00 PM …..  Capella, a very bright star, will be high  overhead at about 70° to the West. It will be above the Pleiades.

9:00 PM …    The two brightest stars of the Gemini Constellation, Castor & Pollex, will be in the Southeast. Draw a line from Rigel & Betelgeuse (in Orion) and extend it to the left and there will be the two bright stars of Gemini.