Abstract
NEW moon occurs on Feb. 2d. 04h. 43m., U.T., and full moon on Feb. 16d. 04h. 28m. The following conjunctions with the moon take place: Feb. 13d. 03h., Mars 3° N. ; Feb. 13d. 09h., Saturn 2° S.; Feb. 20d. 20h., Jupiter 3° S. Occultations of stars not fainter than magnitude 6 are as follows: Feb. 9d. 20h. 33-2m., 148 B. Taur. (D) ; Feb. 12d. 19h. 03-3m., 87 B. Gemi. (D) ; Feb. 23d. 03h. 07-0m., 34 Libr. (R) ; Feb. 23d. 04h. 36-5m.,? Libr. (R). The times are for Greenwich, and (D) and (R) refer to disappearance and reappearance respectively. Mercury, in superior conjunction with the sun on Feb. 11, is not well placed for observation early in the month, but as the planet sets on Feb. 28 about 11 hour after the sun, it can be seen in the western sky towards the end of the month. Venus is in superior, conjunction with the sun on Feb. 1, and is not very well placed for observation during the month except towards the end, when it sets about 25 minutes after the sun and can be seen in the western sky. Mars, in the constellation of Gemini, is visible throughout the greater portion of the night and does not set before 6h. in the middle of the month. On Feb. 22 Mars is stationary. Jupiter, in the constellation of Virgo, cannot be seen before midnight early in the month, but is more favourably placed for observation later: the times of rising at the beginning, middle and end of the month are 23h. 47m., 22h. 56m., and 22h. respectively. The planet is stationary on Feb. 11. Saturn can be easily identified as it is a little south of Mars and can be observed throughout most of the night.
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The Night Sky in February. Nature 157, 101 (1946). https://doi.org/10.1038/157101c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/157101c0