Observing With Webb - February Episode

Venus bright all month, Saturn disappears, Jupiter closes in on Venus, and Mars shines high and bright all month.  Naked-eye PLANETS: Sunset  Venus – Look WSW after sunset. It’ll be low on the horizon throughout the month, but will be the brightest object and probably the first “star” you’ll see, and will get a little bit higher each night.   Very close to Jupiter on the 28th. Jupiter – SUPER bright in the WSW after sunset.  Just find the brightest point of light in that direction (but not Venus), about 1/3 up the sky, and you’ve got it. Sets between 9:30pm and 8:30pm. Mars – Look South and almost straight up, for a dull reddish dot in the sky, above Orion and around the extended right horn of Taurus.     Throughout the night  Mars – Look SW early in the evening, West around midnight. Sets at 3:30am at the beginning of the month, and 2:00am at the end of the month.    Morning Mercury – Keep an eye out for Mercury in the early mornings just before sunrise.  During the first week, Mercury will be easiest to spot right in the SE, but still very low and pretty dim, but brighter than any stars nearby.  Find a good clear horizon and be patient.   We've added a new way to donate to 365 Days of Astronomy to support editing, hosting, and production costs.  Just visit: https://www.patreon.com/365DaysOfAstronomy and donate as much as you can! Share the podcast with your friends and send the Patreon link to them too!  Every bit helps! Thank you! ------------------------------------ Do go visit http://www.redbubble.com/people/CosmoQuestX/shop for cool Astronomy Cast and CosmoQuest t-shirts, coffee mugs and other awesomeness! http://cosmoquest.org/Donate This show is made possible through your donations.  Thank you! (Haven't donated? It's not too late! Just click!) ------------------------------------ The 365 Days of Astronomy Podcast is produced by the Planetary Science Institute. http://www.psi.edu Visit us on the web at 365DaysOfAstronomy.org or email us at [email protected].