LISTEN to this week’s Sky Report
This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report for the week ending Wednesday, February 27, 2013. Here is what’s happening in the skies of Southern California:
The moon illuminates most of the night this week. It changes from waxing gibbous to full phase on Monday the 25th. This is traditionally known as the Full Snow Moon. Afterwards, the moon displays a waning gibbous phase.
The planet Mercury is still visible about 10 degrees above the western horizon at 6:10 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20, but on later nights will descend and fade, and become increasingly difficult to find.
Jupiter shines brilliantly in Taurus the Bull, and is nearly overhead as darkness falls. Use binoculars to see Jupiter’s four largest moons clustered tightly in moving patterns around the planet. A telescope will show Jupiter’s banded cloud patterns. Jupiter sets in the west-northwest at about 1:00 a.m.
The ringed planet, Saturn, appears as a bright golden star in the southeast after it rises at about 10:50 p.m. The best time to see it is 4:00 a.m., when it is at its highest, 43 degrees above the southern horizon. The northern face of Saturn’s ring system is visible through a telescope and is tilted 19 degrees in our direction.
The International Space Station makes an evening pass over Los Angeles on Tuesday, February 26. The ISS will be visible between 7:10 until 7:15 p.m., moving from the northwest horizon to where it meets the earth’s shadow, 34 degrees above the southern horizon. The space station should outshine Jupiter when at its highest, 53 degrees above the southwest horizon, at 7:14 p.m.
Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) is putting on a good show through binoculars for people south of the equator. The brightening comet will swing into our evening sky starting about March 6. Observing information, including when it may be seen from Griffith Observatory, will soon be be posted on a special Griffith Observatory Web page. The comet and how you can watch it will be discussed at the upcoming All Space Considered in Griffith Observatory’s Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon Theater, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 1.
Free views of the sun during the day and of the moon, planets, and other celestial objects at night, are available to the public in clear weather through Griffith Observatory’s telescopes Wednesday-Sunday before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for our schedule. The next public star Party on the grounds of Griffith Observatory, hosted by the Los Angeles Astronomical Society, the Sidewalk Astronomers, and the Planetary Society, will take place between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 16th.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.