MARSHALL'S NIGHT SKY THIS WEEK - Feb 3rd to Feb 9th
We are proud to present you with another edition of Marshall's night sky events this week, we hope you find something of interest! Let us know in the replies if you did, we would love to hear about it!
If you're looking for info regarding the planets and their positions throughout the month as well as daily asteroid, comet, star and interesting sky events for the current week; it's all here.
We also have upcoming rocket launches listed, and past history regarding notable launches and events as well!
Let's get started by examining the highlights of the night sky this week, February 3rd to February 9th. As usual we will list the highlights and discuss a few. We hope you find this info useful and if you have anything you wish to discuss or add, please hit the "Reply" button below and let us know!
Information is freely gathered from various websites. We would encourage you to download and print your finder charts more specific to your location, the charts/graphics included are for basic guidance only. Many websites like Skymaps.com will allow you to download and print out a free planisphere for each month, the link is here: https://www.skymaps.com/.
EVENTS
3rd February
4th February
Jupiter appears stationary in the sky at 13:00 UTC.
Ganymede transit starting at 02:04 to 04:10 followed by shadow transit and GRS 06:40 10:30.
Europa and shadow transit 11:00 15:40.
5th February
First Quarter Moon at 08:02 UTC.
Io and shadow transit with GRS 12:40 16:00
6th February
The Moon is north of the Pleiades at 07:00 UTC.
7th January
Jupiter is south of the Moon at 04:00 UTC.
Io and shadow transit 07:00 10:20
8th February
Europa and shadow transit with GRS 00:15 05:00
9th February
Mercury is in superior conjunction at 12:00 UTC.
Mars is south of the Moon at 19:50 UTC.
PLANETS
Mercury
Mercury reaches superior conjunction on the 9th, and re-emerges into the evening twilight very late in this month.
Venus
Venus is quite prominent in the evening sky from the Northern hemisphere, reaching its greatest illumination (mag -4.9) on the 14th of this month. Venus' phase angle decreases from 38* to a crescent of 14* and goes from 32" to 48" in angular size.
Mars
Mars is still in Gemini, forming the brightest object of a nice triangle with Castor and Pollux for the entire month. However, it also loses half of its brightness, going from mag -1.1 to -0.3 as the month progresses.
Jupiter
Jupiter reaches its stationary point on the 4th, and slowly begins retrograde motion, gradually seperating itself from Aldebaran in the constellation of Taurus.
Saturn
Saturn starts to be lost in the evening twilight, vanishing into in the Sun's glare at the end of the month.
Uranus
Uranus starts its retrograde montion in eastern Aries, and is well placed all month for viewing.
Neptune
Neptune is still visible at the beginning of the month, though it soon fades into evening twilight as the month progresses.
COMETS AND ASTEROIDS
Still just one Comet brighter than Magnitude 10 this week, C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) now in Pisces Austrinus and starting to fade. Sets with the Sun as viewed from Northern locations. Low in the South West after Sunset viewed from the Southern hemisphere.
C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
Magnitude: 4.5 (Observed - COBS) trending_down
Coma Diameter: 12.0' Tail Length: 6.0°
Observation Date: 2025-01-30
J2000: 22h 24m 17s -34° 55’ 18” in Pisces Austrinus
We have five Asteroids brighter than Magnitude 10 this week. Data from In-the-sky.org.
4 Vesta
Magnitude: 7.4 trending_up
J2000: 14h 40m 06s -07° 04’ 51” in Virgo
1 Ceresstars
Magnitude: 9.0 trending_up
J2000: 21h 41m 39s -21° 23’ 49” in Capricornus
15 Eunomiastars
Magnitude: 9.3 trending_down
J2000: 04h 57m 53s +27° 29’ 53” in Taurus
29 Amphitrite
Magnitude: 9.4 trending_up
J2000: 10h 03m 38s +17° 59’ 55” in Leo
7 Iris
Magnitude: 10.0 trending_flat
Apparent: 23h 42m 18s +02° 08’ 17” in Pisces
STARS
Sirius - Have you ever tried for Sirius B? Sirius A and B are now at their widest apparent separation in their 50-year orbit, 11 arcseconds apart, and will remain so for the next couple years before they start closing up again. If you can block Sirius A out of your FOV you might have a shot at open cluster Gaia 1 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_1)
T Coronae Borealis - A star system, located 3,000 light-years away from Earth, is predicted to become visible to the unaided eye soon. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity as the nova outburst only occurs about every 80 years. Now rising in the East before Sun rise for Northern viewers and not visible from Southern locations. T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, last exploded in 1946 and astronomers believe it will do so again in 2025. Once in a lifetime event! Plan ahead just in case! Wiki article here. The TSS TCrB Citizen Science Thread is here.
SPACE LAUNCHES
NET February 3/4 Electron • ‘IOT 4 You and Me’
Launch time: 9:43 a.m. NZDT on Feb. 4 (3:43 p.m. EST, 2043 UTC on Feb. 3)
Launch site: Launch Complex 1, Mahia Peninsula, New Zealand
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket will launch a batch of five satellites for Kinéis’ Internet of Things (IOT) constellation. This will be the fourth out of five planned launches to deploy the 25 satellites. Rocket Lab will not be attempting to recover the booster. Updated: January 23
February 3 Falcon 9 • WorldView Legion 5 & 6
Launch time: Window opens at 6:32 p.m. EST (2332 UTC)
Launch site: Launch Complex 39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the third and final pair of WorldView Legion Earth observation satellites for Maxar Technologies, which will complete the first block. These series of high-resolution remote sensing satellites operate in a mix of sun-synchronous and mid-inclination orbits. Satellites 5 and 6 will launch into MIO. About eight minutes after liftoff, the first stage booster will target a touchdown at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
We highly recommend using "Spot the Station" from NASA to find out when the International Space station will be passing over your location. This is a fun object to see flying high above, try using binoculars here, lots of fun!
For the HAM radio enthusiasts among you, please keep a eye on the ARISS website for upcoming contacts or SSTV broadcasts for when the International Space Station is within range. There are several HAMS on board the ISS, they should have a busy radio schedule coming up. AMSAT are another great resource in this regard.
This video is from the ISS live feed on YouTube. Watch live video from the International Space Station, including inside views when the crew aboard the space station is on duty. Views of Earth are also streamed from an external camera located outside of the space station. During periods of signal loss due to handover between communications satellites, a blue screen is displayed.
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY
February 3
62 years ago, in 1963, Luna E-6 No.3 (Luna 1963B) is launched to perform a soft landing on the Moon, but fails to reach orbit and reenters the atmosphere.
60 years ago, in 1965, OSO-B2 (Orbiting Solar Observatory) is successfully launched into orbit.
59 years ago, in 1966, Luna 9 is the first spacecraft to land on the Moon.
55 years ago, in 1970, SERT-II is launched for a 6 month test of a mercury ion thruster engine.
48 years ago, in 1977, the Salyut 4 space station burns up in Earth's atmosphere after 770 days in orbit.
31 years ago, in 1994, the Clementine lunar probe leaves Earth orbit.
30 years ago, in 1995, on the first shuttle mission to Mir aboard Discovery (STS-63), Eileen Collins becomes the first female shuttle pilot and commander.
19 years ago, in 2006, SuitSat-1 is deployed from the ISS.
15 years ago, in 2010, NASA extends the Cassini mission at Saturn to 2017.
February 4
64 years ago, in 1961, Venera 1VA is launched to Venus, first ever planetary mission, but fails to leave Earth orbit.
63 years ago, in 1962, Comet Seki-Lines (C/1962 C1, Great Comet of 1962) is discovered independently by Tsutomu Seki and Richard Lines.
59 years ago, in 1966, Luna 9 sends the first pictures from the lunar surface, which are intercepted and published by the British.
February 5
182 years ago, in 1843, the Great Comet of 1843 is first observed.
58 years ago, in 1967, Lunar Orbiter 3 is launched to photograph the future Apollo and Surveyor landing sites.
54 years ago, in 1971, Apollo 14 lands on the moon.
51 years ago, in 1974, Mariner 10 flies by Venus, becomes the first spacecraft to use gravity assist, next stop, Mercury.
38 years ago, in 1987, JAXA successfully launches its third cosmic X-ray satellite, Ginga (Japanese for 'galaxy').
31 years ago, in 1994, the Clementine lunar probe makes its first Earth flyby.
February 6
59 years ago, in 1966, the Soviet Proton-2 satellite, designed for the study of high and ultra-high energy particles, ends its mission.
50 years ago, in 1975, SMS-2, the second of two predecessors to the GOES series of satellites, is launched.
47 years ago, in 1978, Progress 1 undocks from the Salyut 6 space station.
21 years ago, in 2004, the Beagle 2 lander is declared lost.
14 years ago, in 2011, the two solar probes, STEREO A and B, are exactly 180 degrees apart from each other, allowing the entire Sun to be seen at once for the first time.
7 years ago, in 2018, SpaceX launches the Falcon Heavy on its maiden flight with the payload of Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster, and two of three boosters land successfully.
February 7
57 years ago, in 1968, Luna E-6LS No.112 (Luna 1968A) is launched to enter a selenocentric orbit, but the third stage run out of fuel and fails to reach orbit.
48 years ago, in 1977, Soyuz 24 is launched to the Salyut 5 space station.
41 years ago, in 1984, aboard shuttle Challenger (STS-41-B), Bruce McCandless takes the first untethered space walk using the new Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU).
26 years ago, in 1999, Stardust is launched to Comet Wild 2 to capture comet dust and pre-solar interstellar materials to be returned to Earth.
24 years ago, in 2001, the Destiny Laboratory Module is launched to the ISS aboard the shuttle atlantis (STS-98).
17 years ago, in 2008, the shuttle atlantis (STS-122) is launched to the ISS with the ESA's Columbus science laboratory.
13 years ago, in 2012, after almost nine years of operation, NASA places the GALEX ultraviolet space telescope in standby mode.
February 8
58 years ago, in 1967, Lunar Orbiter 3 goes into orbit around the Moon.
51 years ago, in 1974, after just over 84 days in orbit, the crew of Skylab 4 return to Earth.
47 years ago, in 1978, Progress 1 enters Earth's atmosphere and burns up.
40 years ago, in 1985, the first Brazilian satellite, Brasilsat A1, is successfully launched.
33 years ago, in 1992, the Ulysses spacecraft arrives at Jupiter for a swing-by maneuver to position itself for orbit above the Sun's poles.
15 years ago, in 2010, the shuttle Endeavour (STS-130) is launched to the ISS with the Tranquility module and the Cupola robotic control station.
February 9
112 years ago, in 1913, several hundred meteors are seen streaming across the sky from Saskatchewan to Bermuda.
54 years ago, in 1971, Apollo 14 splashes down in the South Pacific Ocean and is retrieved by the USS New Orleans.
50 years ago, in 1975, after 29 days, Soyuz 17 leaves the Salyut 4 space station and lands on Earth.
10 years ago, in 2015, Orbital Sciences merges with Alliant Techsystems to become a new company called Orbital atK, Inc.
And that is it for the upcoming week. We hope you can all get out and do some observing, sketching and imaging.
Clear skies!
The TSS Team.