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Emile Zola stories. Brief biography and analysis of the work of Émile Zola

Before describing the starry sky in February, let's remember that although the length of daylight in this month is steadily increasing, the nights are still very long. In mid latitudes dark time the day lasts 13-14 hours. During this time, the Earth manages to rotate more than half a revolution, which means that during the night we can see most of all seasonal constellations. In the evening - autumn and winter, at night - winter and spring. Spring and partly summer - in the morning, before sunrise.

February starry sky in the evening

As dusk sets in, the first February stars appear in the southern sky (to the left of the evening dawn). There are several bright stars here that are part of the so-called winter constellations. Winter constellations are usually called those constellations that are visible in the evenings in the south in winter. (Why in the south? Because the stars rise highest above the horizon, crossing the celestial meridian in the south. At this moment they culminate, as an astronomer would say. Therefore, it is most convenient to observe the constellations and any luminary in general when it is in the south sky.)

Which constellations are traditionally winter constellations? Taurus, Auriga, Eridanus, Canis Major, Hare, Unicorn, Gemini, Canis Minor and, of course, Orion.

The constellation Orion is the brightest and most memorable constellation in the winter sky. Drawing: Stellarium

Constellation Orion- the central winter constellation and the main constellation in the February sky. Its main design consists of seven bright stars, clearly visible even in the city sky. These stars are located very symmetrically. Three stars are located in the center of the constellation, lined up along the same line at the same distance from each other. This is Orion's Belt. The two brightest stars of the constellation are located symmetrically relative to the belt - one above and to the left, the other below and to the right. The one higher is the star Betelgeuse; Its reddish color catches the eye. The one below and to the right is bluish-white Rigel, which, however, in our latitudes often shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.

In the seven-star Orion, as well as in the weaker stars adjacent to it, it is easy to recognize the figure of a hunter: Rigel, together with the star Saif, represent the legs mythical hero, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix - shoulders. The stars to the right of the seven-star mark the hand of Orion, which on ancient maps held a shield or the skin of a killed animal. A chain of stars stretching upward from Betelgeuse is another hand swinging a club.

Starting from the colorful, bright and instantly memorable figure of Orion, you can easily find all the other winter constellations.

Winter constellations surround Orion on all sides. Among them, Canis Major stands out along with the star Sirius, as well as the constellations Taurus, Auriga and Gemini. Drawing: Stellarium

Orion's belt points to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, and with it to constellation Canis Major . If we stretch the Belt line to the right, we will come across the reddish star Aldebaran and the constellation Taurus. Behind Aldebaran you can see the Pleiades - a beautiful star cluster that looks like a tiny bucket. And above the Pleiades, almost at the zenith, a bright yellowish-white star is visible. This is Capella, alpha Auriga.

Included in the constellation Charioteer three more relatively bright stars enter, forming an irregular quadrangle. A compact triangle of 3rd magnitude stars located just below Capella is also part of Auriga. These three stars, together with Capella, form the ancient asterism of the Goat with the Little Goats.

Constellation Eridani, symbolizing the celestial river, is located to the right of Orion - under the constellation Taurus. In mid-latitudes, this vast constellation elongated to the south is only partially visible above the horizon. To view this beautiful but dim constellation, it is better to get out of the city, away from city lights.

The same applies to a small constellation Hare, which is located under the feet of Orion - in mid-latitudes it floats low above the horizon.

Constellation Canis Minor marked by only one bright star, Procyon. Together with Sirius and Betelgeuse, this star forms the Winter Triangle asterism in the sky. Between Sirius and Procyon lies the fabulous Unicorn, a vast but completely inconspicuous constellation.

The Winter Triangle is formed by the stars Betelgeuse, Procyon and Sirius. Drawing: Stellarium

Above the winter triangle, high in the sky, there are two bright stars one above the other. These are the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini. The constellation itself in the city sky looks like an elongated rectangle. But far from the city light, the fainter stars of Gemini also become visible, complementing the pattern of the constellation in such a way that the outlines of the brothers standing in an embrace can be discerned in it. (The names of these brothers are Castor and Pollux; the two brightest stars of Gemini are also named.)

Constellation Gemini. Drawing: Stellarium

Night sky in February

By midnight, the pattern of winter constellations shifts to the west. The constellations Taurus and Orion are leaning toward the horizon; in the south, Gemini and Canis Minor have taken their place.

A constellation rises in the southeast Leo, which can be recognized by a large trapezoid of four stars, at the head of which is the rather bright star Regulus. Between Leo and Gemini there is a dark, starless space. It is occupied by another zodiac constellation - Cancer. You have to be in a really dark place to see it properly!

Constellations Leo and Cancer in the midnight sky of February. Drawing: Stellarium

In the east, another bright star rises above the horizon. This Arcturus, king of the dark spring sky.

Starry sky in February morning

Picture of the morning sky last month winter is not at all like midnight. In 6 hours, the celestial sphere makes a third of a revolution, and the stars that shone at midnight in the south, before dawn, either have already gone beyond the horizon or are visible far in the northwest. Among such constellations, visible “to the last,” are the constellations Auriga and Leo.

The western and southern parts of the sky were occupied by dim spring and even some summer constellations. A more or less distinct pattern can be traced only in the constellations Leo, Virgo and Bootes. As we have already said, the Leo figure is based on a trapezoid of four stars. The main stars of Virgo form an irregular quadrangle, with the constellation's brightest star, Spica, in its lower left corner. Finally, the constellation Bootes vaguely resembles a parachute. The orange Arcturus, the brightest star in the northern hemisphere of the sky, acts as a parachutist.

The eastern part of the sky is occupied by the already familiar Great Summer Triangle - three bright stars are quite high when the morning dawn begins to flare up beneath them.

The picture we described is true for the month of February of any year. But sometimes it is “spoilt” by strange bright stars, which can be visible in the zodiac constellations of Pisces and Aries (in the evenings in the west), Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo at night, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Ophiuchus in the morning in the south and southeast .

These strange wandering bright "stars" are, of course, planets! Venus, Jupiter, and Mars, which is near opposition, are especially bright. These planets are much brighter than any of the stars, including Sirius, and therefore can confuse, surprise and even frighten the unlucky observer. (In February 2018, Jupiter is perfectly visible in the morning sky in the constellation Libra.)

The planet Saturn, as well as Mars (at other times), look like bright stars, and therefore are also capable of distorting the patterns of constellations. Mercury is not striking, although it is quite bright, since in mid-latitudes it is observed only against the background of morning or evening dawn.

What to see in the sky in February: stars, clusters and nebulae

What else, besides drawings of constellations, should you pay attention to? Of course, on interesting stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

The starry sky of February is rich in interesting objects. Some of them can be seen even with the naked eye, but if you have binoculars, the list of attractions expands significantly. Below we briefly list only those that can be seen January evenings with minimal optical equipment. To find nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters, use a good star atlas or planetarium program (for example, free program Stellarium).

Objects for observation with the naked eye

  • - perhaps the most famous variable star. Located in the constellation Perseus, it belongs to the class of eclipsing variable stars. The gloss varies from 2.1 m to 3.4 m. An easy object to observe with the naked eye.
  • Aldebaran- the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Located next to Jupiter. In the early evening it rises in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Has a distinct reddish tint.
  • Altair- the brightest star in the constellation Aquila (magnitude 0.76 m). In the predawn sky in February it is visible far in the east, low above the horizon. Part of the summer triangle.
  • Antares- the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Known for its rich red color. It rises in the morning in the southern part of the sky, in mid-latitudes it is very low above the horizon.
  • Betelgeuse- α Orionis, red supergiant. One of the largest stars known to scientists, its diameter is 1000 times the diameter of the Sun. Wrong variable - the brightness varies within almost 1 m. The distance is approximately 500 sv. years.
  • Great Orion Nebula (M42)- a bright and beautiful nebula, visible even to the naked eye. The telescope will give you an amazing view. Distance about 1500 sv. years.

The famous Orion Nebula. The picture was taken by the Hubble telescope. Photo: NASA/ESA/M. Robberto (STScI/ESA) et al./APOD

  • - the brightest star in the Lyra constellation (magnitude 0.03 m). At night it is visible in the northeast, and before sunrise it is observed high in the east at an altitude of over 50° above the horizon. Part of the Great Summer Triangle.
  • Hyades- a large open cluster in the constellation Taurus. The star Aldebaran surrounds the sky. The shape resembles Latin letter V. Distance about 150 light years from Earth.
  • - the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus (magnitude 1.25 m). Visible in the morning in the east at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Part of the Great Summer Triangle
  • Chapel- a bright yellow star, α Aurigae. Gloss 0.08 m. In the evenings it is located in the east at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon, at night - almost at the zenith in the south, in the morning - in the western part of the sky at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Distance 42 St. of the year.
  • Castor- α Gemini, the second brightest in the constellation after Pollux. Consists of 6(!) stars connected to each other by gravitational forces. Three stars are visible through the telescope. Distance 52 St. of the year.
  • Pleiades- open cluster in the constellation Taurus. Also known under the names Seven Sisters, Stozhary, Volosozhary. It rises after sunset in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of over 50° above the horizon, in the morning - low above the west. To the naked eye it looks like a small scoop; binoculars show dozens of stars. The distance to Earth is about 400 sv. years.
  • Pollux- β Gemini and the brightest star of the constellation. Together with Castor, this star symbolizes the mythical twins born from the almighty Zeus and the beautiful Leda. Orange star. Distance 34 St. of the year.
  • - a star marking the North Pole of the celestial sphere (magnitude 2.0 m). Visible at any time of the year and day from anywhere in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. The height above the horizon is determined by the latitude of the observation location and practically does not change during the day. A perpendicular from the North Star to the horizon points to the Earth's North Pole.
  • . Formed by three hot white stars - ζ, ε and δ Orionis.
  • Rigel- a blue supergiant and the brightest star in the constellation Orion. Distance about 850 sv. years. Luminosity - 120,000 luminosities of the Sun.
  • - the brightest star in the night sky. Rise around 10 pm in the southeast. In the south it is visible around 2 am. Due to its low position above the horizon, it often shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.
  • β Lira- an eclipsing variable star, the lower right star in the parallelogram of the constellation Lyra. Changes brightness from 3.3 m to 4.3 m with a period of 12.94 days. An optical satellite is visible through binoculars - a bluish star 7.2 m. In February it is good to observe the star late at night and in the morning.
  • δ Cephei- prototype of Cepheid variable stars. The brightness varies from 3.6 m to 4.5 m with a period of 5.366 days. Visible in the evening high in the sky in the west, at night - at an altitude of 40° above the northwestern horizon.
  • ε Auriga- one of the most amazing stars in the sky. Double; The satellite is surrounded by a massive disk of dust that eclipses the bright component every 27 years.
  • ζ Gemini- a well-known variable star. Cepheid. Changes gloss within 3.8-4.4 m with a period of 10 days.
  • ζ Auriga- eclipsing variable star, period 2.66 years. Consists of a bright orange giant and a hot blue-white star. Distance about 800 sv. years
  • η Gemini or Pass. Found in Castor's leg. Semiregular and eclipsing variable. Changes gloss within 3.1-3.6 m.
  • η Cassiopeia- beautiful double star, visible at the zenith in the evenings. Consists of two stars similar to the Sun. Distance 19 St. years. The distance between components is 12″.
  • - probably the most famous double star in the sky. It is located on the break of the handle of the Ursa Major bucket. The components are separated by an angular distance of 12 arc minutes and are well separated by the naked eye. In fact, Mizar is sixfold star system, which includes, in addition to Mizar and Alcor, 4 more stars. One of them can be observed in small amateur telescopes.

Objects to observe with binoculars and a small telescope

  • h&χ Perseus- double cluster in the constellation Perseus. The naked eye can see an elongated nebulous speck halfway between the star Mirfak (α Perseus) and the constellation Cassiopeia. Visible throughout the night high above the horizon. An excellent object for binoculars and small telescopes.
  • Collinder 69- open cluster Lambda Orionis. Located in the head of the hunter between the stars Betelgeuse and Bellatrix
  • R Lyres- semi-regular variable. Brightness changes from 4.0 m to 5.0 m with a period of 46 days. Located near Vega, visible after sunset high in the sky in the west, at night it is in the northwest low above the horizon.
  • Albireo- a beautiful double star, one of whose components is orange and the other is bluish-green. Can be separated even by small binoculars. Albireo represents the head of the Swan or the base of the Northern Cross, at the opposite end of which is Deneb. Visible in the evening in the west at an altitude of about 40° above the horizon, it sets below the horizon around midnight.

Open cluster M35 in the constellation Gemini. Next to it is the more distant and fainter cluster NGC 2158. Photo: New Forest Observatory

  • M27- planetary nebula “Dumbbell” in the constellation Chanterelle (see photo above). One of the brightest planetary nebulae in the sky. Clearly visible even with small binoculars above the constellation Sagittarius. In January it is visible in the evenings in the west. The distance is about 1000 sv. years.
  • M2- a globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius. Visible in the evenings in the south and southwest. Through binoculars it appears as a foggy spherical spot with blurred edges.
  • M13- one of the most beautiful globular clusters in the sky. Located in the constellation Hercules between the stars η and ζ. It is perfectly visible even in 30 mm binoculars, and in a telescope with an aperture of over 80 mm it breaks up into stars at the edges. In January, the cluster rises in the second half of the night in the northeast and is observed until sunrise.
  • M15- a bright globular cluster in the constellation Pegasus (magnitude 6.4 m). In the evening it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon, at night half as low in the west. The landmark is the star Epsilon Pegasus.
  • M31- Andromeda's nebula. The famous spiral galaxy, the most distant object visible to the naked eye. The distance is about 2.5 million light years.
  • M33- spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. Requires good atmospheric conditions, binoculars with an aperture of over 50 mm and the absence of urban illumination.
  • M35- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Gemini. It is located at the foot of Castor, not far from the star Propus (eta Gemini). Distance 2800 St. years.
  • M36- open cluster in the constellation Auriga. It is located near the clusters M37 and M38, almost halfway between the stars β Tauri and Capella. Distance - 4100 sv. years.
  • M37- a very beautiful open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Located in the middle of the Milky Way. Discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier. Distance - 4400 sv. years.
  • M38- another open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Distance - 4300 sv. years.
  • M39- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. Located near Deneb. Contains about 30 stars. At good conditions visible to the naked eye.
  • M92- another globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. Gloss 6.5 m. Located almost 9° above M13, it is possible to observe the cluster throughout the night very low above the horizon in the northern part of the sky.
  • Melotte 20- open cluster α Persei. A beautiful object to observe with binoculars. Surrounds the bright star Mirfak. Distance about 600 sv. years.
  • - or the cluster of Veronica's Hair. A vast open star cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is located between the Trapezium of Leo and the star Arcturus. It is clearly visible to the naked eye in a rural sky, but is most beautiful when viewed through small binoculars. Distance about 300 sv. years.

Open cluster Melott 111 or Coma Cluster.

Many people in November wonder: what bright star is visible in the east in the morning? She really very bright: other stars pale in comparison with her. It is still easily distinguishable even when here, in the southeast, dawn is already in full swing, washing away other stars from the sky. And then almost until sunrise this star remains completely alone.

I want to congratulate you - you are observing the planet Venus, the brightest luminary in our sky after the Sun and Moon!

Venus is only visible in the morning or evening sky- you will never see her late at night on South. Her time is the predawn or twilight evening hours, when she literally reigns in the sky.

Check yourself if you are really observing Venus.

    • In November and December 2018 Venus is visible in the east in the morning, rising 4 hours before sunrise. It is visible for two hours in the dark sky, and for another hour against the background of the morning dawn.
    • Venus color white, near the horizon may be slightly yellowish.
    • Venus does not flicker that is, it does not blink, does not tremble, but shines powerfully, evenly and calmly.
    • Venus is so bright that it no longer looks like a star, but like the spotlight of an airplane flying towards it. It has long been noted that bright White light planet capable cast clear shadows on the snow; The easiest way to check this is outside the city on a moonless night, where the light of Venus is not interfered with by street lights. By the way, according to Russian astronomers, about 30% of reports of UFOs in our country occur on rising or setting Venus.

Venus against the background of the morning dawn is still bright and noticeable, although at this time the stars are practically no longer visible. Pattern: stellarium

In November 2018 - slightly to the right of the planet. Please note: Spica is one of the twenty brightest stars in the entire sky, but next to Venus it simply fades! Another bright star, Arcturus, is located above and to the left of Spica. Arcturus has a characteristic reddish color. So, Venus is much brighter than Arcturus and even more so Spica!

Watch these luminaries for a few minutes and compare them appearance with Venus. Notice how much brighter stars twinkle than Venus. Spica can even shimmer different colors! Also try to remember the brightness of Venus in comparison with the brightest stars - and you will never confuse it with anything else.

Few things can compare in beauty to Venus in the sky! The planet looks especially beautiful against the background of the flaring dawn. Beautiful heavenly pictures are obtained when the crescent Moon is near Venus. The next such meeting will take place on the morning of December 3 and 4, 2018. Do not miss!

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In March Mercury will reach its greatest elongation in the evening sky - this will be its best evening visibility in 2018. Saturn, Mars And Jupiter lined up along the southern horizon, forming a mini-morning parade of planets. In March, Jupiter goes into retrograde motion in the sky, approaching the moment of its opposition. Venus observed at dawn, shining brightly near the western horizon and passing close conjunctions first with Mercury, then with Uranium. Neptune passes through conjunction with the Sun and is not visible throughout the month.

Moon will approach the indicated planets: March 7 in the morning with a waning phase of 0.74 - with Jupiter, March 10 in the morning with a waning phase of 0.45 - with Mars, March 11 in the morning with a waning phase of 0.35 - with Saturn, March 17 in the afternoon with a new moon - with Neptune, on March 18 in the evening with a growing phase of 0.01 - with Venus, on March 19 in the evening with a growing phase of 0.04 - with Uranus. For observations, it is better to choose nights when the Moon does not pass near the observed planet near its full phases.

Visibility conditions are given for the middle latitudes of Russia (about 56° N). For cities to the north and south celestial bodies will be located at the indicated time, respectively, slightly lower or higher (by the difference in latitude) relative to their places in the sky of Bratsk. To clarify the local visibility conditions of planets, use planetarium programs.

MERCURY moves through the constellations of Aquarius and Pisces in the same direction as the Sun, changing its movement to a retrograde position on March 23. Mercury is observed in the evening sky next to Venus, passing through a close conjunction with it on March 4 - - the angular distance in the sky will reach 1°! Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation of 18.4° on March 15.

The angular distance from the Sun changes from 10° to 18.4° (at evening maximum elongation) and to 4° east of the Sun by the end of the month. The apparent size of Mercury increases from 5" to 11", and the planet's brightness drops from -1.5 to +6.6m by the end of March. The phase of Mercury changes from 0.93 to 0.01 towards the end of the observed period. In observations through a telescope in evening visibility, one will be able to observe the oval of the planet, gradually turning into a waning crescent. To successfully observe Mercury during periods of visibility, you need binoculars, an open horizon and a clear twilight sky.

VENUS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations Aquarius, Pisces, Cetus and Aries. Venus is observed in the evening sky next to Mercury, passing through a close conjunction with it on March 4 - the angular distance in the sky will reach 1°! On March 29, Venus will pass a conjunction with Uranus (up to 4 arc minutes!), but this event is difficult to observe due to the low brightness of Uranus (+5.8m), dissolving against the background of the evening dawn. The angular distance of Venus from the Sun increases from 12° to 19° east of the Sun. The angular dimensions of the planet's disk are 10 arcseconds. The planet's phase is about 0.94 at a magnitude of -3.9m.

Venus and Uranus in the evening sky in mid-March 2018

MARS moves in the same direction as the Sun through the constellations Ophiuchus and Sagittarius. Mars is gradually approaching the Earth - the planet's brightness increases from +0.9m to +0.4m, and its angular size - from 6" to 8". The planet can be observed in the night and morning sky above the southeastern and southern horizon for about 2-3 hours in mid-latitudes.

For observations, a telescope with a lens diameter of 60-90 mm is required. The best time to observe details on the disk of Mars is the moment of opposition, which occurs every two years. At other times, Mars appears through a telescope as a tiny reddish disk with no details. The closest opposition of Mars will occur on July 27, 2018 (Great Opposition!).

The positions of Saturn, Mars and Jupiter in March 2018 in the morning sky

JUPITER moves in the same direction with the Sun in the constellation Libra, moving backward on March 9. The best period for observing the gas giant is now approaching, which will last until June with opposition on May 9. The duration of the giant's night and morning visibility increases from 5.5 to 6.5 hours. The angular diameter of the planet in the sky increases from 39 to 42 arcseconds with increasing brightness from -2.0m to -2.2m.

Through binoculars, four bright satellites of the giant are visible - due to the rapid orbital motion, they noticeably change their position relative to each other and Jupiter during one night (the configurations of Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto can be found in astronomical calendars or in planetarium programs).

URANUS moves in the same direction with the Sun in the constellation Pisces near *omicron Pisces. The toppled planet is visible throughout the evening. The planet's brightness is +5.8m with an angular diameter of 3".

During periods of opposition, Uranus can be observed with the naked eye in a clear, transparent sky, in the absence of illumination from the Moon (near the new moon) and away from city lights. In a 150-mm telescope with a magnification of 80x and higher, you can see the greenish disk (“pea”) of the planet. The satellites of Uranus have a brightness less than +13m.

NEPTUNE moves in the same direction with the Sun in the constellation Aquarius near *lamda (3.7m). The planet is not visible all month, passing through a conjunction with the Sun on March 4th. The planet's brightness is +7.9m magnitude and is almost no different from the surrounding stars.

We decided to create this section based on your questions sent to us by email, as well as the search queries of visitors.

General questions about finding stars and constellations

Question: How to find the North Star in the starry sky?

Answer: We all know the Big Dipper bucket, which is “ business card» northern starry sky, because due to its proximity to north pole peace throughout the territory former USSR is the non-setting most memorable group of fairly bright stars, visible at any dark time of the day or year. Of course, the position of the Big Dipper's bucket above the horizon varies depending on the time of year and time of day. But, in any case, it is very easy to find, except that on spring evenings it rises to the zenith and is visible above your head, which may not seem like a very convenient position for observation to some.

Considering the recognition of the Ursa Major bucket, start your acquaintance with starry sky we must start with him. And the first step will be to find the North Star. Firstly, this has a practical meaning, because... The North Star points to the north, which will help you quickly navigate the cardinal directions. Secondly, we receive directions to search for other circumpolar constellations, thereby expanding our knowledge of the starry sky. So, looking at the picture on the left, let’s draw a mental line through the two outermost stars of the Ursa Major bucket, designated Greek lettersα and β. Like other stars of the bucket, they have their own names: Dubge and Merak. The first star on your path similar in brightness to the stars of the Ursa Major bucket will be Polaris. Print (or redraw) the drawing and, depending on the position of the Big Dipper bucket in the sky, rotate it so that you know which way to draw a mental straight line to find the North Star.

More detailed information on searching for constellations can be found in the section.

February 2012

Question: Two bright stars in the sky. The brightest star in the sky in February.


Panorama: Venus (in the center), Jupiter (to the left and above) and the constellation Orion (on the left side of the image) on the evening of February 18, 2012.

Answer: Most likely, our readers have in mind two bright luminaries, visible in the evenings in the southwestern part of the sky and similar to two bright stars. Moreover, one of them is so bright that its brightness is many times greater than all the stars visible in the sky. But these are not very bright stars at all, but planets. Moreover, the brightest of them is Venus, the second planet from the Sun. solar system. In the earth's sky it is so bright that its brightness reliably ranks third after the Sun and Moon among the brightest luminaries. It can even be found with the naked eye in the daytime sky! Remarkably, even in the sky of Mars, Venus appears brighter than neighboring Earth! The reason Venus is so bright is the high reflectivity (albedo) of the planet's dense cloud cover. When observing Venus through a small telescope, its phases are noticeable, similar to the phases of the Moon. Phases less than 30 - 40%, when the planet is visible in a telescope in the form of a crescent, are also noticeable in 7x binoculars. Venus will take on a crescent appearance in the second half of April this year, so if you have binoculars at hand, be sure to observe the planet in the second half of spring 2012. Just make sure that the binoculars are fixed firmly, because... shaking hands is unlikely to allow you to clearly see the phase of Venus.

As for the second brightest “star” visible next to Venus, this is the planet Jupiter, which occupies the fourth brightest place in the earth’s sky. And if in February Jupiter is visible to the left and above Venus, then on March 12–14, 2012, Venus on the celestial sphere will pass several degrees north of Jupiter, after which they seem to “swap” places in the sky. Jupiter is also interesting for observations with binoculars, since even 7x binoculars can show from one to four of the largest and brightest moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo: Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. For successful observations, you also need to take care that the binoculars are stationary. Then, next to bright Jupiter, you will see tiny “stars” of its main satellites.


Moon, Venus and Jupiter in the starry sky February 24 - 29, 2012. View to the southwest. Early evening.

The crescent moon will pass near Venus on the evening of February 25, 2012, and on February 26–27 it will pass near Jupiter. Moon in March it will already pass first near Jupiter in the evening of the 25th, and on the 26th - near Venus.

Question: How to find Mars in the sky? Mars in the starry sky in February 2012.


Mars in the eastern sky at 22.45 Moscow time on February 22, 2012

Answer: In February 2012 it is very simple: around 23:00 local time, look to the east. Mars is visible as the brightest star on this side of the sky. However, its color is slightly reddish. The Moon on the celestial sphere will approach the planet on March 7 and in the evening will be to the right of Mars. The next time the Moon will be near Mars is on the evening of April 3. Note that at the beginning of March 2012, on the 4th, there will be an opposition of Mars. But in order to see any details of the planet's surface, you will need a small telescope. Through binoculars, any details of the surface of Mars are not visible from Earth.


Search map of spring constellations with positions of the Moon, Mars and Saturn in March 2012

March 2012

Question: Two bright stars in the sky. The brightest star in the sky in March.


Moon, Jupiter and Venus in the eternal sky March 24, 2012

In March Special attention Venus continues to attract attention, shining in the evenings as a very bright yellow star in the western sky. Jupiter, near which it passed at the beginning of the second ten days of the month, is visible every evening further and further from bright Venus. Venus itself in the sky is gradually approaching a compact group of faint stars, forming a figure similar to a tiny bucket. This is the Pleiades open star cluster, against which Venus will pass at the very beginning of April.

April - May 2012

Question: What is the brightest star visible in the western sky in April - May of this year?

In fact, this is not a star at all, but Earth’s neighbor in the solar system - Venus. Due to the high reflectivity of its atmosphere, covered by dense clouds, this planet is the third brightest luminary in the earth's sky after the Sun and Moon. Venus shone in the evenings in the western sky all last winter and during the first two spring months, and by the end of May this period of evening visibility of Venus will gradually end. Read about the planet's visibility conditions. And on June 6, 2012, a very rare astronomical phenomenon will occur - after which it will appear in the east at dawn, becoming " morning star".
Photo: Venus in the evening sky on April 30, 2012.

July - August 2012

Question: Two bright stars at dawn in July? What are those two bright stars in the morning over Moscow?

In July - August, the period of morning visibility of two bright planets continues - Jupiter and Venus, which attract the attention of observers with their bright brilliance. And this is not surprising, because Venus ranks third in brightness in the earth’s sky after the Sun and Moon! And Jupiter is the fourth brightest, only occasionally briefly losing in brilliance to Mars when it is at Great Opposition.
So, in the morning sky of July and August 2012 we observe Jupiter (the bright planet that is higher) and Venus (the one that is lower and brighter). It is worth noting that before this, in the spring of 2012, these planets could be observed in the evening sky after sunset. They were also located close to each other. It just so happened that after disappearing in the rays of the evening dawn, both planets appeared not far from each other in the morning sky at the very end of June. However, in August and in the following months, the angular distance between Jupiter and Venus will rapidly increase. Venus will remain a morning star, while in the fall Jupiter will begin to rise in the evenings in the eastern part of the sky. You can find out more about the visibility conditions of both planets in August 2012.
In the photo: Venus and Jupiter in the predawn sky on July 25, 2012.

Question: How to find the constellation Perseus in the sky?

Answer: A search map, as well as a description of starry sky objects visible in the constellation Perseus, can be found

Question: When will there be two moons in the sky in August?

Answer: In fact, fortunately, no two moons are expected in the sky. This is all a kind of Internet canard, originating from a journalistic mistake made back in 2003. In August 2003, or to be more precise, on August 28, the Great (or rather, the greatest) confrontation of Mars took place. Enthusiastic journalists were so carried away in their reports by describing the spectacle of this phenomenon that they declared that Mars would approach the Earth so close that in the sky it would appear as a small (second) Moon, and some details could be discerned on its surface, as on face of our natural satellite! Journalists forgot to say one thing: Mars will look like a “small moon” only through telescopes, and the observer’s eye must be trained enough to see the details on the planet’s disk even during the Great Opposition.
But time erases details, and Internet users are still trying to find out about two moons in August. We hope that after reading this commentary, our readers will stop waiting in heaven for something that is not destined to happen.
But the next Great Opposition of Mars is “destined” to occur on July 27, 2018.

February 2015

Question: What bright yellow star shines in the evening in the eastern part of the sky, and in the early morning - low in the west?

June – July 2015

Question: What are these two very bright yellow stars visible in the evenings in the western sky in June and early July 2015?

September – November 2015

Question: What bright star is visible in the east in the morning?

This is Venus - the brightest planet in the solar system in the earth's sky, the third brightest luminary after the Sun and Moon. The fall of 2015 was the period of its morning visibility, so the planet is clearly visible in the mornings in the eastern part of the sky. But the main planetary events will come in October, when four bright planets approach each other in the morning sky: Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. We will talk about this in our October review.

Question: What constellation of 6 stars is visible late in the evening in the east?

If we mean a compact group consisting of 6 stars (see photo), then this is not a constellation, but part of the constellation Taurus.

THE BRIGHTEST STARS VISIBLE FROM EARTH

Many people, looking at the sky after sunset, wonder what kind of bright white star appears near the Moon, so I am inclined to think that it is VENUS. It is also visible in the morning at 6 o'clock when I rush to work. But I still collected material for comparison.

Sirius, as we see on Wikpedia, visible BEFORE sunset Knowing the exact coordinates of Sirius in the sky, it can be seen during the day naked eye. For best viewing, the sky should be very clear and the Sun should be low above horizon.

Jupiter can reach visible magnitude at −2.8, making it the third brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus. However, Jupiter is also called the Great Red Spot. However, at certain moments

Marsmay briefly exceed the brightness of Jupiter. Mars is called the "Red Planet" because of the reddish hue of its surface given by iron oxide. This means that she is not white at all, which is what needed to be proven.

And here Venus, even in the photos of astronomers, it is THERE, UNDER THE MOON, where I and other amateurs see it...

Syria

- (Alpha Canis Major) is located at a distance of 8.64 light years from us and is the brightest star visible in the night sky. A light year is the distance that light travels in one year, it is about 9.5 trillion km. The distance from Earth to Syria is approximately 80 trillion km. Macca Syria is 2.14 times the mass of the Sun, and its brightness is 24 times. It is also almost 2 times hotter: the temperature on its surface is about 100,000 C. Sirius is the star of the Southhemispheres of the sky .In mid latitudesRussia Sirius is observed in the southern part of the sky in autumn (early morning), winter (from sunrise to sunset) and spring (visible some time after sunset).Sirius is the sixth brightest object in the earth's sky. Only brighter than himSun , Moon , as well as planetsVenus , Jupiter AndMars during the period of best visibility (see also:List of the brightest stars ). For some time, Sirius was considered one of the stars of the so-calledmoving group of Ursa Major . This group includes 220 stars, which are united by the same age and similar movement in space. Initially the group wasopen star cluster , however, at present the cluster as such does not exist - it has disintegrated and become gravitationally unbound. So, most of the stars of the asterism belong to this clusterBig Dipper in Ursa Major. However, scientists subsequently came to the conclusion that this is not so - Sirius is much younger than this cluster and cannot be its representative.

Venus

- second internalplanet solar system with an orbital period of 224.7 Earth days. The planet got its name in honorVenus , goddesses love fromroman pantheon deities.

Venus -brightest object in the night sky except Moon , and reachesapparent magnitude at -4.6. Since Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth , it never seems too far from the Sun: the maximum angle between it and the Sun is 47.8°. Venus reaches its maximum brightness shortly before sunrise or some time after sunset, which gave rise to the name Evening Star or

The best time to observe Venus is shortly before sunrise (some time after sunrise in morning visibility).



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