A work by Émile Zola. French writer Zola Emile

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 North Pole 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 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.

The morning sky brightens quite quickly with dawn, and the stars disappear from it one after another. Only one luminary remains visible longer than the others. This is Venus, the planet - the morning star. It is many times brighter than Sirius for an earthly observer and is second in the night sky in this sense only to the Moon.

Features of movement across the sky

Today, almost everyone knows which planet is called " morning star" and why. The beautiful Venus appears in the sky shortly before sunrise. After dawn, it remains visible longer than other luminaries due to its brightness. The most eagle-eyed observers can see a white dot in the sky for several hours after sunrise - this is the “morning star” planet.

Venus also appears before sunset. In this case it is called the evening star. As the sun sinks below the horizon, the planet becomes brighter. It can be observed for several hours, then Venus sets. It doesn't appear in the middle of the night.

Second from the Sun

The answer to the question “which planet is called the morning star” could have been different if Venus was in the distant part solar system. A similar nickname was given to the cosmic body not only because of the characteristics of its movement across the sky, but also because of its brightness. The latter, in turn, is the result of the position of the planet relative to the Earth and the Sun.

Venus is our neighbor. At the same time, it is the second planet from the Sun, almost identical in size to Earth. Venus is the only one of its kind that comes so close to our home (minimum distance 40 million kilometers). These factors allow you to admire it without the help of telescopes or binoculars.

Things from days gone by

In ancient times, the answers to the question of which planet is called the morning star and which is the evening star did not coincide. It was not immediately noticed that the luminaries that precede their appearance at sunrise and sunset are one and the same cosmic body. Ancient astronomers carefully monitored these stars, and poets created legends about them. After some time, careful observation bore fruit. The discovery is attributed to Pythagoras and dates back to 570-500. BC e. The scientist suggested that the planet known as the morning star is also the evening star. Since then, we have known a lot about Venus.

Mysterious planet

A cosmic body named after as if justifying its name for a long time excited the minds of astronomers, but did not allow them to get closer to solving their mysteries. Almost until the 60s of the last century, Venus was considered a twin of the Earth, and there was talk about the possibility of discovering life on it. This was greatly facilitated by the discovery of its atmosphere. The discovery was made in 1761 by M.V. Lomonosov.

Improvement of technology and research methods allowed us to study Venus in more detail. It turned out that the dense atmosphere of the planet consists mainly of carbon dioxide. Its surface is always hidden from observation by a layer of clouds, probably consisting of sulfuric acid. The temperature on Venus exceeds all thresholds imaginable for humans: it reaches 450 ºС. This and other features of the planet became the reason for the collapse of all theories that suggested life on a cosmic body close to us.

Gas giant

However, the question “which planet is called the morning star” has another answer, and more than one. Sometimes this name is used to denote Jupiter. The gas giant, although it is a considerable distance from our planet and is located further than Mars from the Sun, is immediately behind Venus in terms of brightness in the sky. They can often be seen close to each other. As recently as early July 2015, Venus and Jupiter were visible as a beautiful double star.

It should be noted that the gas giant is quite often accessible for observation throughout the night. Therefore, it cannot be called as suitable a candidate for the role of the morning star as Venus. However, this does not make it a less interesting and beautiful sky object.

Closest to the Sun

There is another morning star. The planet other than Venus and Jupiter so designated is Mercury. The cosmic body closest to the Sun is named after the Roman messenger of the gods for its speed. Either ahead of or catching up with the daylight, for an earthly observer Mercury is visible alternately in the evening and morning hours. This makes him related to Venus. The small planet is therefore also historically called the morning and evening star.

Elusive

The peculiarities of Mercury's movement and proximity to the Sun make it difficult to observe. Ideal places For this purpose are low latitudes and the equator region. Mercury is best visible during the period of maximum distance from the Sun (this time is called elongation). In mid-latitudes, the likelihood of seeing one decreases greatly. This is only possible during the best elongations. Mercury is inaccessible to observers from high latitudes.

The planet's visibility is cyclical. The period is from 3.5 to 4.5 months. If Mercury, moving in its orbit, overtakes the daylight clockwise for an earthly observer, then at this time it can be seen in the morning hours. When it is behind the Sun, there is a chance to observe the fastest planet in the system in the evening. Each time Mercury is visible for about ten days.

Thus, this planet is called the morning star with good reason. However, this “nickname” of Mercury is not known to everyone for obvious reasons: seeing it in the sky is a rare success due to its close location to the daylight star, as well as its relatively small size.

So, which planet is called the morning star? We can say with all certainty that such a question implies the answer “Venus”, less often “Mercury” and almost never, although this is possible, “Jupiter”. The planet, named after the goddess of love, due to its proximity to the Earth and high reflectivity, and therefore brightness, is more noticeable to an observer inexperienced in astronomy, and therefore will always firmly occupy the place of the most beautiful morning star for the majority.

So, now about the heavenly dates of Venus...

Jupiter will emerge into the morning sky in the second half of December, shining low on the southeastern horizon in the constellation Ophiuchus. On December 22, Mercury will pass very close to it (the distance from the Sun will be 20 degrees). Venus will still be in the constellation Libra at this time.

On January 6, 2019, the morning elongation of Venus (-4.7m; El=46°57’) will occur in the constellation Libra

The period of close visibility of Jupiter and Venus will occur in the second half of January 2019, when the distance between the luminaries will be less than 6°, and they can be observed in the field of view of ordinary binoculars! On January 22, two bright planets will converge in the sky to 2.5 degrees - Venus will shine above Jupiter on the southeastern horizon in the constellation Ophiuchus.

Such conjunctions are common, since the planets and the Moon move on the celestial sphere along one “broad highway” encircling the sky, called the ecliptic plane.

Clear skies and successful observations of morning Venus!