2019-06-01_All_About_Space

Ceres

Jupiter

Pluto

Saturn

Venus

AQUILA

SCUTUM

SAGITTARIUS

OPHIUCHUS

LUPUS

SCORPIUS

SERPENS

Ve nu s

Constellation:Sagittarius

Magnitude:-4.2

AM/PM:AM

Without a shadow of a doubt the February morning

sky belongs to Venus. Go outside before sunrise on

any crisp, chilly February morning and you’ll see

Venusblazinglikealanterninthesoutheast,looking

like a piece of burning magnesium to the lower left

of fainter, but still impressive Jupiter. It will be so

striking you’ll simply be unable to miss it. Looking at

Venus on a still, dark morning you’ll appreciate why

it was named after the Roman Goddess of Love – the

planet is such a stunning sight that it is hard to drag

your eyes away from it; it almost hypnotises you...

However, Venus’ lovely appearance is very

deceptive. Often called ‘Earth’s Twin’, Venus is

similartoourownworldinsizeonly;inalmostevery

other way it is a hell planet. Ironically it is that thick

atmosphere which makes Venus such a stunning

sightinoursky.Itactslikeamirror,reflectingthe

Sun’sraysbackintospace.Soasyougazelovinglyat

Venus this month, take a moment to ref lect on the

fact that you’re staring across millions of kilometres

of space at a world that is as alien and hostile to life

as it is beautiful.

Venuswillbeatitsbestatthestartofthemonth

when it will rise two-and-a-half hours before the Sun,

meaning we will be able to see it in a dark sky from

around 5:00am. By month’s end Venus will have

moved closer to the Sun and will rise just an hour-

and-a-half before it, reducing the time available for us

to see it.

February will be a very social month for Venus.

As well as keeping Jupiter company in the pre-dawn

skyitwillalsobevisitedbySaturnandtheMoon.

On the morning of the 18th Venus and the Ringed

Planet will be just a degree apart and will be a lovely

sight through binoculars or a small telescope. Before

sunriseonthe27thVenuswillbeontheendofa

chainofworldsstretchingfromthesoutheasttothe

south, with Venus, Saturn, Jupiter and the waning

crescent Moon all spread out across the sky in a

celestial parade no self-respecting astrophotographer

or planet-watcher will want to miss.

The sky truly belongs to Venus this month as it takes centre stage

in the morning sky

This month ’s planets

S

07:00 GMT on 18 February

SE SSE

Planet of the month

“ The planet is such a stunning sight that

it is hard to drag your eyes away from it”

STARGAZER