February 2020 Astronomy Calendar by Dave Mitsky
Some information supplied and/or added by Tony Donnangelo
All times are Eastern Standard Time (-5 hrs. U.T.). Daylight Saving Time (-4 hrs. U.T.) goes into effect at 2:00 a.m., March 15 .
Events listed are based on a location of40°N in the Eastern US and may not be visible in all areas.
Concerning moderate and minor meteor shower activity:
Do not have any high expectations. This general information is to account for why you might be seeing a few more than normal meteors during your observing session.
Lunar light rays may occur prior to or after the predicted time. Initial observations might have occurred after the ray’s inception or continued after the observer’s session. Rays may last a very short time or for many hours. Obtain further information; send reports (including non-occurrences and miss-calculations), photos, and observations of new rays to:
The Robinson Lunar Observatory: http://www.lunar-occultations.com/rlo/rlondx.htm.
3/1 Comet 317P/WISE is at closest approach to Earth at 1.536 A.U.
3/1 Comet 388P/Gibbs is at opposition at 1.934 A.U.
3/1 Asteroid (376) Geometria is at closest approach to Earth at 1.337 A.U.
3/1 40th anniversary (1980) of Pierre Laques & Jean Lechaceux’s discovery of Saturn moon, Helene.
3/1 Meton (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 6:35:37 p.m.
3/1 Walter (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 11:07:44 p.m. Moonset 12:47 a.m.
3/1 Rho Leonids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks through the 4th. Duration is from 2/13
through 3/13.
3/2 Comet 124P/Mrkos is at opposition at 0.810 A.U.
3/3 Comet 163P/NEAT is at opposition at 1.656 A.U.
3/3 Comet 57P-A/du Toit-Neujmin-Delporte is at opposition at 3.238 A.U.
3/3 Comet 57P/du Toit-Neujmin-Delporte is at opposition at 3.239 A.U.
3/3 Comet 54P/de Vico-Swift-NEAT is at opposition at 4.225 A.U.
3/3 Cichus A (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 5:41:27 p.m. Sunset at 6:01 p.m.
3/3 Reinhold (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 7:33:44 p.m.
3/3 Lagalla (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 7:39:46 p.m.
3/3 Longomontanus (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 7:48:22 p.m.
3/3 Kies (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 7:54:38 p.m.
3/3 Copernicus (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 9:58:04 p.m.
3/3 Pi Virginids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks through the 9th. Duration is from 2/13
through 4/8.
3/4 Comet 155P/Shoemaker is at opposition at 1.169 A.U.
3/4 Comet 358P/PANSTARRS is at closest approach to Earth at 2.688 A.U.
3/4 Sinus Iridum (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 6:31:26 p.m. Sunset 6:03 pm.
3/5 Comet 98P/Takamizawa is at opposition at 2.134 A.U.
3/5 Comet C/2018 R3 (Lemmon) is at opposition at 3.028 A.U.
3/5 Comet P/2017 S5 (ATLAS) is at opposition at 3.182 A.U.
3/5 Comet 203P/Korlevic is at perihelion at 3.200 A.U.
3/5 Comet 357P/Hill is at opposition at 3.559 A.U.
3/5 Centaur Object A/2019 G3 is at opposition at 3.966 A.U.
3/5 Asteroid (397) Vienna is at closest approach to Earth at 2.245 A.U.
3/5 Clausius (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 9:24:30 p.m.
3/5 Mersenius P (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 11:38:43 p.m.
3/6 Comet P/2019 A2 (ATLAS) is at closest approach to Earth at 3.380 A.U.
3/6 Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner is at opposition at 3.723 A.U.
3/6 Comet 370P/NEAT is at opposition at 4.272 A.U.
3/6 Comet C/2010 U3 (Boattini) is at opposition at 8.144 A.U.
3/6 Michelangelo’s 545th birthday (1475).
3/6 Schiller C (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 4:24:18 a.m. Moonset 4:40 a.m.
3/6 Vieta (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 9:33:53 p.m.
3/6 Lacroix G (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 11:36:34 p.m.
3/7 Viktor Savinykh’s 80th birthday (1940).
3/7 Stanley Miller’s 90th birthday (1930).
3/7 Babbage (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 5:05 25 a.m. Moonset at 5:27 a.m.
3/8 Comet 69P/Taylor is at closest approach to Earth at 2.407 A.U.
3/8 Asteroid 128 Nemesis is at closest approach to Earth at 2.052 A.U.
3/9 Supper Moon.
3/9 Venus Passes 2.4° from Uranus.
3/9 Comet 358P/PANSTARRS is at opposition at 2.692 A.U.
3/9 Comet C/2019 J3 (ATLAS) is at closest approach to Earth at 2.858 A.U.
3/9 Comet P/2007 T2 (Kowalski) is at opposition at 3.862 A.U.
3/9 Comet C/2018 X3 (PANSTARRS is at opposition at 3.932 A.U.
3/9 Asteroid (293) Brasilia is at closest approach to Earth at 1.633 A.U.
3/10 Comet 6P/d’Arrest is at opposition at 3.450 A.U.
3/10 Comet 361P/Spacewatch is at opposition at 3.586 A.U.
3/10 Leonids-Ursids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks 10/11. Duration is from 3/18 to 4/7.
3/11 Comet 232P/Hill is at closest approach to Earth at 2.567 A.U.
3/11 Comet 228P/LINEAR is at perihelion at 3.436 A.U.
3/11 Comet 64P/Swift-Gehrels is at opposition at 3.528 A.U.
3/11 Comet 286P/Christensen is at opposition at 3.922 A.U.
3/11 Comet 287P/Christensen is at opposition at 4.151 A.U.
3/11 60th anniversary (1960) of Pioneer 5‘s launch (Solar Orbiter).
3/11 Nicolaas Bloembergen’s 100th birthday (1920).
3/12 Comet 31P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is at closest approach to Earth at 2.579 A.U.
3/12 John Linsley’s 95th birthday (1925).
3/12 Simon Newcomb’s 185th birthday (1835).
3/13 Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) Ordinary Meeting being held in London, United Kingdom.
3/13 Dinosaur Valley State Park Star Party being held in Glen Rose, Texas.
3/13 40th Anniversary (1980), Pascu/Seidelmann/Baum/Currie’s Discovery of Saturn Moon Calypso
3/13 Percival Lowell’s 165th birthday (1855).
3/14 Pi Day.
3/14 International Day of Planetariums.
3/14 Comet 31P/Schwassmann-Wachmann is at opposition at 2.580 A.U.
3/14 Star Party at Oracle State Park being held in Oracle, Arizona.
3/14 Giovanni Schiaparelli’s 185th birthday (1835).
3/15 Daylight Saving in the United States—set clock ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m.
3/15 Comet C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS) is at perihelion at 0.842 A.U.
3/15 Comet 198P/ODAS is at closest approach to Earth at 2.666 A.U.
3/15 Comet 107P/Wilson-Harrington is at opposition at 3.222 A.U.
3/15 Comet P/2019 A2 (ATLAS) is at opposition at 3.392 A.U.
3/15 Comet 229P/Gibbs is at opposition at 4.133 A.U.
3/15 Hyperbolic Object A/2019 C1 is at opposition at 5.701 A.U.
3/15 60th Anniversary (1960) of Kitt Peak National Observatory being dedicated.
3/16 Comet 124P/Mrkos is at closest approach to Earth at 0.785 A.U.
3/16 Comet 296P/Garradd is at opposition at 1.552 A.U.
3/16 45th Anniversary (1975) of 3/iner 10, 3rd Mercury flyby.
3/16 Caroline Herschel’s 270th birthday (1750).
3/16 Gamma Normids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks 16/17. Duration is from 11th to 21st.
3/17 Comet 249P/LINEAR is at opposition at 0.830 A.U.
3/17 Hyperbolic Object A/2019 C1 is at closest approach to Earth at 5.701 A.U.
3/18 Comet C/2020 A3 (ATLAS) is at closest approach to Earth at 5.232 A.U.
3/18 Delta Mensida meteor shower (minor activity) peaks 18/19. Duration is from 14th to 21st.
3/18 Eta Virginids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks 18/19. Duration is from 2/24 to 3/27.
3/19 Comet 320P/McNaught is at closest approach to Earth at 2.330 A.U.
3/19 Comet 232P/Hill is at opposition at 2.576 A.U.
3/19 30th Anniversary (1990) of Hiten‘s Moon flyby by Japan.
3/19 55th Anniversary (1965) of Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex opened.
3/19 105th Anniversary (1915) of Pluto photographed By Lowell Observatory (pre-discovery image).
3/19 Beta Leonids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks through the 21st. Duration is from 2/14
through 4/25.
3/19 Vernal Equinox at 11:50 p.m.
3/20 Mars passes 0.7° from Jupiter.
3/20 Comet 279P/La Sagra is at opposition at 3.975 A.U.
3/20 Theta Virginids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks 20/21. Duration is from 3/10 to 4/21.
3/20 Night Sky Program at Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument being held in Florissant,
Colorado.
3/21 Comet C/2019 J2 (Palomar) is at closest approach to Earth at 2.540 A.U.
3/21 Star Gazing at the Marsh Event being held in Collier-Seminole State Park in Naples, Florida.
3/21 An Evening Under the Stars being held in Big Lagoon State Park, Pensacola, Florida.
3/21 Stargazing Through Telescopes being held in Indiana Dunes National Park, Porter, Indiana,
3/21 Starrytelling being held in Copper’s Break State Park, Quanah, Texas.
3/21 55th anniversary (1965) of Ranger 9l launch (Moon impact mission.
3/22 Comet 390P/Gibbs is at perihelion at 1.700 A.U.
3/22 Comet C/2019 JU6 (ATLAS) is at closest approach to Earth at 2.945 A.U.
3/22 Comet C/2017 K5 (PANSTARRS) is at perihelion at 7.681 A.U.
3/23 Comet 69P/Taylor is at opposition at 2.437 A.U.
3/23 Comet 347P/PANSTARRS is at opposition at 4.023 A.U.
3/23 Comet C/2020 A3 (ATLAS) is at opposition at 5.237 A.U.
3/23 55th anniversary (1965) of Gemini 3 launch (Virgil Grissom, John Young).
3/24 Mercury is at its greatest western elongation at 28°
3/24 Venus is at its greatest eastern elongation of 46°.
3/24 Comet 10P/Tempel is at opposition at 2.314 A.U.
3/24 Comet 369P/Hill is at opposition at 3.322 A.U.
3/24 Experience the Night Dark Night Skies being held in Tumacacori National Historical Park,
Tumacacori, Arizona.
3/24 Joseph Stefan’s 185th birthday (1835).
3/24 Edmond Becqueral’s 200th birthday (1820).
3/25 Comet 373P/Rinner is at opposition at 2.256 A.U.
3/25 Comet 205P-A/Giacobini is at opposition at 3.673 A.U.
3/25 Comet 205P/Giacobini is at opposition at 3.684 A.U.
3/25 Comet 205P-C/Giacobini is at opposition at 3.684 A.U.
3/25 Friedrich Schwassmann’s 150th birthday (1870).
3/25 Pierre Weiss’ 155th birthday (1865).
3/25 365th anniversary (1655 of Christiaan Huygens’ discovery of Saturn’s moon Titan.
3/26 Comet 98P/Takamizawa is at closest approach to Earth at 2.071 A.U.
3/26 Comet C/2019 T5 (ATLAS) is at opposition at 2.300 A.U.
3/26 Max Abraham’s 145th birthday (1875).
3/26 180th anniversary (1840)of the 1st Moon photo taken by John Draper.
3/27 Comet 91P/Russell is at opposition at 1.969 A.U.
3/27 Comet 246P/NEAT is at opposition at 2.391 A.U.
3/27 Comet 198P/ODAS is at opposition at 2.688 A.U.
3/27 John Pierce’s 110th birthday (1910).
3/27 Wilhelm Rontgen’s 175th birthday (1845).
3/27 Hall (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 7:27:01 p.m.
3/28 Earth Hour.
3/28 Griffith Observatory Public Star Party being held in Los Angeles, California.
3/28 Jerome Friedman’s 90th birthday (1930).
3/29 Harold Jones’ 130th birthday (1890).
3/29 European Summer Time, set clock ahead 1 hour for European Union.
3/29 Eta Draconids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks through the 31st. Duration is from the
3/22 through 4/8.
3/30 Comet P/2019 A7 (PANSTARRS) is at closest approach to Earth at 2.678 A.U.
3/30 Comet 36P/Whipple is at opposition at 4.037 A.U.
3/30 Las Cruces Space Festival being held through April 4 in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
3/30 Hypatia (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 7:40:00 p.m.
3/30 Saunder (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 10:52:14 p.m.
3/30 Hind (SE of) (sunrise) lunar light ray predicted to occur at 11:02:36 p.m.
3/31 Mars passes 0.9° from Saturn.
3/31 Comet P/2019 A7 (PANSTARRS) is at opposition at 2.678 A.U.
3/31 Asteroid 216 Kleopatra (2 Moons) is at closest approach to Earth at 2.405 A.U.
3/31 Neptune Trojan 316179 (2010 EN65) is at opposition at 26.360 A.U.
3/31 15th anniversary (2005) of Mike Brown, et al’s discovery of dwarf planet Makemake.
3/31 1620th anniversary (400 AD) of Comet C/400 F1 near-Earth flyby at 29.8 Lunar distance.
3/31 Tau Draconids meteor shower (minor activity) peaks through 4/2. Duration is from 3/13
through 2/2.
For location (40°16’N 76°45’W) Hummelstown, PA, USA:
March 1:
| Event |
Time |
Altitude |
|
| Minimum altitude: |
00:19 |
-57.1° |
360° |
| Astronomical twilight begins: |
05:10 |
-18.0° |
84° |
| Nautical twilight begins: |
05:41 |
-12.0° |
89° |
| Civil twilight begins: |
06:13 |
-6.0° |
95° |
| Sunrise: |
06:40 |
-0.8° |
99° |
| Maximum altitude: |
12:19 |
42.5° |
180° |
| Sunset: |
17:59 |
-0.8° |
261° |
| Civil twilight ends: |
18:27 |
-6.0° |
266° |
| Nautical twilight ends: |
18:58 |
-12.0° |
271° |
| Astronomical twilight ends: |
19:30 |
-18.0° |
276° |
April 1:
| Event |
Time |
Altitude |
|
| Minimum altitude: |
01:11 |
-45.0° |
0° |
| Astronomical twilight begins: |
05:17 |
-18.0° |
67° |
| Nautical twilight begins: |
05:50 |
-12.0° |
73° |
| Civil twilight begins: |
06:23 |
-6.0° |
78° |
| Sunrise: |
06:50 |
-0.8° |
83° |
| Maximum altitude: |
13:11 |
54.6° |
180° |
| Sunset: |
19:32 |
-0.8° |
277° |
| Civil twilight ends: |
20:00 |
-6.0° |
282° |
| Nautical twilight ends: |
20:32 |
-12.0° |
287° |
| Astronomical twilight ends: |
21:06 |
-18.0° |
293° |
Comet information for: March 24, 2020 (New Moon).
Constellation Rises Transits Sets
C/2017 T2 (PanStarrs) Cassiopeia circumpolar 2:39 p.m.
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Pisces 6:17 a.m. 1:22 p.m. 8:26 p.m.
C/2018 N2 (ASASSN) Cassiopeia circumpolar 12:16 p.m.
C/2020 A2 (Iwamoto) Camelopardalis circumpolar 5:07 p.m.
C/2019 Y1 (ATLAS) Andromeda 2:59 a.m. 12:08 p.m. 9:18 p.m.
C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) Ursa major circumpolar 8:35 p.m.
For location (40°16’N 76°45’W) Hummelstown, PA, USA:
March 1:
|
Mercury |
Venus |
Mars |
Jupiter |
Saturn |
Uranus |
Neptune |
Pluto |
|
| Right ascension |
22h 9m 27.3s |
1h 36m 8.6s |
18h 42m 49.4s |
19h 24m 18.9s |
20h 0m 23.2s |
2h 5m 34.1s |
23h 17m 0.6s |
19h 44m 9.5s |
| Declination |
-7° 53′ 59″ |
11° 18′ 6″ |
-23° 30′ 6″ |
-22° 1′ 54″ |
-20° 34′ 53″ |
12° 13′ 56″ |
-5° 43′ 30″ |
-22° 2′ 34″ |
| Range (AU) |
0.635 |
0.881 |
1.703 |
5.753 |
10.721 |
20.409 |
30.917 |
34.650 |
| Elongation from Sun |
10.7° |
44.7° |
61.9° |
52.2° |
43.7° |
51.8° |
6.3° |
47.7° |
| Brightness |
3.0 |
-4.1 |
1.1 |
-1.8 |
0.7 |
5.8 |
8.0 |
14.3 |
| Equatorial Diameter |
10.60″ |
18.95″ |
5.50″ |
34.27″ |
15.50″ |
3.45″ |
2.21″ |
0.09″ |
| Phase Angle |
151.5° |
75.8° |
35.3° |
8.7° |
3.9° |
2.3° |
0.2° |
1.2° |
| Constellation | ||||||||
| Meridian transit |
11:38 |
15:02 |
08:09 |
08:52 |
09:28 |
15:32 |
12:44 |
09:12 |
| Rises |
06:06 |
08:24 |
03:36 |
04:12 |
04:43 |
08:51 |
07:04 |
04:33 |
| Sets |
17:10 |
21:41 |
12:42 |
13:31 |
14:13 |
22:13 |
18:24 |
13:51 |
| Altitude |
-48.0° |
1.1° |
-65.3° |
-69.4° |
-70.2° |
7.2° |
-35.6° |
-71.0° |
| Azimuth |
312.2° |
283.9° |
53.8° |
30.9° |
6.1° |
280.0° |
296.5° |
18.1° |
| % illumination |
4.5 |
62.6 |
90.9 |
99.4 |
99.9 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
April1:
|
Mercury |
Venus |
Mars |
Jupiter |
Saturn |
Uranus |
Neptune |
Pluto |
|
| Right ascension |
22h 11m 30.8s |
23h 43m 34.9s |
17h 21m 35.8s |
19h 1m 0.5s |
19h 48m 15.5s |
2h 2m 22.0s |
23h 13m 24.2s |
19h 40m 50.6s |
| Declination |
-11° 56′ 53″ |
-2° 33′ 7″ |
-23° 10′ 21″ |
-22° 39′ 36″ |
-21° 5′ 49″ |
11° 56′ 5″ |
-6° 6′ 23″ |
-22° 7′ 49″ |
| Range (AU) |
1.124 |
1.070 |
1.924 |
6.042 |
10.956 |
19.991 |
30.758 |
34.890 |
| Elongation from Sun |
16.2° |
40.9° |
53.2° |
30.3° |
19.2° |
78.3° |
32.6° |
21.1° |
| Brightness |
-0.9 |
-4.0 |
1.3 |
-1.7 |
0.6 |
5.8 |
8.0 |
14.4 |
| Equatorial Diameter |
5.99″ |
15.60″ |
4.87″ |
32.63″ |
15.17″ |
3.53″ |
2.22″ |
0.09″ |
| Phase Angle |
57.2° |
63.3° |
30.6° |
5.5° |
1.9° |
2.8° |
1.0° |
0.6° |
| Constellation | ||||||||
| Meridian transit |
13:24 |
14:56 |
08:34 |
10:15 |
11:02 |
17:15 |
14:27 |
10:55 |
| Rises |
08:06 |
09:05 |
04:00 |
05:38 |
06:19 |
10:35 |
08:48 |
06:16 |
| Sets |
18:43 |
20:47 |
13:09 |
14:51 |
15:45 |
23:55 |
20:05 |
15:33 |
| Altitude |
-6.9° |
16.4° |
-66.8° |
-49.5° |
-39.7° |
50.5° |
8.4° |
-41.7° |
| Azimuth |
260.2° |
252.0° |
312.0° |
282.4° |
275.2° |
233.0° |
254.6° |
275.4° |
| % illumination |
63.8 |
47.0 |
88.4 |
99.1 |
99.8 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
The objects listed below are located between 8:00 and 10:00 hours of right ascension.
Thirty binary and multiple stars for March: Struve 1173, Struve 1181, Struve 1187, Zeta Cancri, 24 Cancri, Phi-2 Cancri, Iota-1 Cancri, Struve 1245, Iota-2 Cancri, 66 Cancri, Struve 1327 (Cancer); Struve 1270, Epsilon Hydrae, 15 Hydrae, 17 Hydrae, Theta Hydrae, 27 Hydrae, Struve 1347, Struve 1357, Struve 1365 (Hydra); 3 Leonis, Struve 1360, 6 Leonis, Omicron Leonis (Leo); Struve 1274, Struve 1282, Struve 1333, 38 Lyncis, Struve 1369 (Lynx); h4046 (Puppis)
Notable carbon star for March: T Cancri (Cancer)
Thirty-five deep-sky objects for March: M44, M67, NGC 2775 (Cancer); Abell 33, M48, NGC 2610, NGC 2642, NGC 2811, NGC 2835, NGC 2855, NGC 2935, NGC 2992, NGC 3052, NGC 3078 (Hydra); NGC 2903, NGC 2916, NGC 2964, NGC 2968, NGC 3020 (Leo); NGC 2859, NGC 3003, NGC 3021 (Leo Minor); NGC 2683 (Lynx); NGC 2567, NGC 2571 (Puppis); M81, M82, NGC 2639, NGC 2654, NGC 2681, NGC 2685, NGC 2742, NGC 2768, NGC 2787, NGC 2841, NGC 2880, NGC 2950, NGC 2976, NGC 2985 (Ursa Major)
Top ten binocular deep-sky objects for March: M44, M48, M67, M81, M82, NGC 2571, NGC 2683, NGC 2841, NGC 2903, NGC 2976
Top ten deep-sky objects for March: M44, M48, M67, M81, M82, NGC 2654, NGC 2683, NGC 2835, NGC 2841, NGC 2903
Challenge deep-sky object for March: Abell 30 (Cancer)