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This is the Griffith Observatory Sky Report through February 13, 2020. Here’s what’s happening in the skies of southern California.
Each evening, the brightest planet, Venus, appears brighter and is located a little higher in the western sky than it was the night before. The planet’s setting time changes from 8:43 to 8:55 p.m. through the week ending on the 13th. Venus displays a gibbous phase when seen through a telescope.
The moon waxes from gibbous to full on the night of the 8th. On following evenings through the 13th, it rises in waning gibbous phase after sunset. Moon rise changes from 6:15 p.m. to 11:54 p.m. between the 9th and the 13th.
The moon appears below the bright stars Castor and Pollux in Gemini the Twins on the 7th. It is close to the star Regulus in Leo the Lion on the 9th, and on the 13th it is north of the bright star Spica, in Virgo the Maiden.
A line of three bright planets is visible above the southeast horizon and is best seen at about 40 minutes before sunrise, or at about 6:00 a.m. The brightest is Jupiter, in Sagittarius the Archer. To Jupiter’s lower left, midway to the horizon, is golden Saturn, in Capricornus the Sea Goat. Orange Mars, in Sagittarius the Archer, is the closest bright object to the upper right of Jupiter, while the slightly brighter orange star Antares, in Scorpius the Scorpion, is to the upper right of Mars and closest of these objects to the meridian.
The International Space Station will pass directly over Los Angeles on Saturday evening, the 8th. The ISS will look nearly as bright as Venus as it crosses the sky from the northwest to the southeast between 6:11 and 6:18 p.m. It will be 265 miles away from us several seconds before 6:15 p.m., when it appears overhead as seen from the Los Angeles area.
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 from Tuesday through Sunday, before 9:30 p.m. Check our website for the schedule. The next free 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 on Saturday, February 29th, between 2:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Follow The Sky Report, All Space Considered, and Griffith Observatory on Twitter for updates on astronomy and space-related events.
From Griffith Observatory, I’m Anthony Cook, and I can be reached at griffithobserver@gmail.com.