February Stargazing

As one planet leaves the evening lineup, another continues to shine brightly this month. Early in the month, Jupiter is quite low in the west as night falls. The planet is bright, but it is so low in the sky that you need a clear horizon to pick it out. Over in the east, though, Mars is already well up in the sky, shining with a steady orange glow. It soars high across the south during the night. It fades a bit during the month, however, so it's not quite as eyecatching at month's end.

More stargazing information: http://stardate.org/nightsky/weekly.php

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February 1-7: Weather watcher. A new satellite will keep an eye on the weather -- not the weather on Earth, but out in space. We'll have details. And we'll also talk about a conjunction of the Moon and a bright star and planet.

February 8-14: The hunter. The giant constellation Orion stalks across the evening sky. It offers a shrinking giant, a giant stellar nursery, and a giant star that's not a nice place for life. Join us for details on this and more.

February 15-21: Weather without air. The Moon and many other bodies in the solar system are bare chunks of rock with no atmospheres -- yet they undergo constant weathering. We'll have details.

February 22-28: The unicorn. The celestial unicorn gallops high across the south on winter nights. It's home to some glowing clouds of gas and dust, as well as a dark cloud that's giving birth to new stars.

February Program Schedule: http://stardate.org/radio/calendars
Find an Affiliate: http://stardate.org/radio/affiliates.php