Astronomy - USA (2022-02)

SGE

EQU

PEG DEL

LAC

AQR

CAP

MIC

GRU

SGR

SCT

AQL SER

CYG LYR

VUL

LYN

CNC GEM

MON

PYX PUP

ANT

CRT HYA

LEO

SCO

OPH

HER

CEN

CRV

COM

BOÖ

SER

VIR

LIB

LUP

PA

CA

CB

CVN

UM

LM

CM

CM

Sun

Path^ o

f the^ Su

n^ (eclipti

c)^

Path^ o

f the^ Mo

on^

Celestial equator

Moon phases Dawn Midnight

Mars

Saturn

Iris

Pluto

Mercury

Asteroid Massalia reaches

opposition February 4/5

Venus appears brightest

on February mornings

3 2 1

28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13

Mercury

Venus

Ceres

Mars

Earth

Uranus

Neptune

Pluto

Venus

Jupiter

Jupiter

Mercury

Greatest western

elongation is

February 16

Saturn

Solar conjunction

is February 4

36 ASTRONOMY • FEBRUARY 2022

THE PLANETS

IN THEIR ORBITS

Arrows show the inner

planets’ monthly motions

and dots depict the

outer planets’ positions

at midmonth from high

above their orbits.

To locate the Moon in the sky, draw a line from the phase shown for the day

straight up to the curved blue line.

Date

Magnitude

Angular size

Illumination

Distance (AU) from Earth

Distance (AU) from Sun

Right ascension (2000.0)

Declination (2000.0)

PLANETS

Feb. 15

0.1

7.1 "

57%

0.946

0.440

20h07.3m

–19°36'

Feb. 15

–4.9

39.1"

28%

0.427

0.719

19h05.3m

–16°50'

MERCURY VENUS

PATHS OF THE PLANETS