As the fog recedes and winter is found scurrying back to its burrow, the skies turn clear for the skygazers to feast on. The coming month of February brings a big bag of celestial events to look forward to. It marks the return of the elusive Mercury to the evening sky, a celestial waltz that enchants observers with its fleeting brilliance near the horizon. From the Lunar occultation of Antares to the Moon at perigee, the month offers the perfect setting for the regular realm to transform into a magical wonderland. The constellations, each with its own mythological tales, come alive, narrating stories written in the twinkling language of stars. It's a time when amateur astronomers and seasoned skywatchers alike gather under the cosmic canopy, armed with telescopes and binoculars, to witness the grand celestial spectacle. Find out all the events to keep your eyes glued to the skies for the coming month.
The last quarter moon appears as a half-lit circle, with half of it immersed in shadow. It rises at midnight, reaches its highest point around dawn, and sets around midday. This phase repeats every 29.531 days. It is also known as a half-moon because 50 per cent of its surface is illuminated by the sun. This phase is a time for reflection, reassessment and forgiveness.
The phenomenon will be particularly noticeable in the pre-dawn sky. If you're in New Delhi, you can see it from the time it rises at 00:48. At this point in its monthly cycle of phases, it is almost exactly half-illuminated, making for a beautiful sight to behold.
The Lunar occultation of Antares is an event that occurs when the Moon passes in front of Antares (Alpha Scorpii), creating a lunar occultation that can be seen from Asia. The word "occultation" comes from the Latin word "occult", which means "to hide". Although the occultation will only be visible in certain parts of the world due to the Moon's proximity to Earth, a close conjunction between the two will be visible more widely.
The occultation will be visible from New Delhi, starting with the disappearance of Antares behind the Moon at 04:45 IST in the southeastern sky at an altitude of 19.1 degrees. Its reappearance will then be visible at 06:03 IST at an altitude of 29.1 degrees.
The α-Centaurid meteor shower is active from January 28 to February 21, with the peak of activity around February 8. The shower is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere, but it can also be seen from north of the equator. The shower is named after Alpha Centauri, the fourth brightest star in the sky and has been observed since 1969, with a possible observation in 1938.
The meteor shower will be visible from New Delhi from around 03:20 each night until dawn breaks at 06:38. The best displays are expected shortly before dawn when the radiant point is highest. At this time, New Delhi is optimally positioned to face the incoming meteors, resulting in more meteors raining vertically downwards. The peak activity of the meteor shower is expected to be around 01:00 IST on February 9, 2024. Hence, the best displays may be observed before dawn on February 9 and after the radiant rises on February 9.
The close approach of the Moon to Jupiter, also known as an "appulse", occurs when the waxing gibbous Moon is seen in close proximity to Jupiter, and the planet is next to the half-lit Moon. During this event, both celestial bodies share the same right ascension, which is the celestial equivalent of longitude in the sky, and form a conjunction. This means that they appear high in the sky after sunset and are bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. However, their size appears so big that they are far too separated to fit comfortably within the field of view of a telescope.
In New Delhi, you can observe this event on the dusk of the close approach. The pair will become visible at approximately 18:24 (IST) and will be 62 degrees above your southwestern horizon as the dusk fades to darkness. After that, they will gradually sink towards the horizon and will set at 23:40.
The Moon and M45, also known as the Pleiades, have a close approach when they pass within 1 degree of each other. Both the Moon and the Pleiades are in the constellation of Taurus during the close approach. The Moon will be seven days old during the conjunction.
The pair will become visible from New Delhi at around 18:47 (IST), 82 degrees above your south-western horizon, as dusk fades to darkness. They will then sink towards the horizon, setting at 01:20. As the object wouldn't fit in the frame of a telescope, it is best to observe it through the naked eyes or binoculars.