The world’s best-selling astronomy magazine

PATHOF THE

PLANETS

The planets

in the sky

These illustrations show the size, phase, and orientation of each planet and the two brightest dwarf planets at 0h UT

for the dates in the data table at bottom. South is at the top to match the view through a telescope.

The planets in February 2018

SGE

EQU

PEG DEL

LAC

AQR

CAP

MIC

GRU

SGR

SCT

AQL SER

CYG LY R

VUL

LY N

CNC

PUP

PYX

ANT

CRT HYA

SEX

LEO

SCO

OPH

HER

DRA

CEN

CRV

COM

BOÖ

SER

VIR

LIB

LUP

PsA

CrA

CrB

CVN

UMa

LMi

CMi

Objects visible before dawn

Sun Pa

th^ of

the^ S

un^ (e

clipti

c)^

Dawn Midnight

Moon phases

Pluto Saturn Mars Jupiter

A partial solar eclipse occurs

February 15 across southern

South America and parts

of Antarctica

Vesta

Ceres

17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

28 27

Venus

Mars

Mercury

Ceres

Uranus

Saturn

Neptune

Pluto

10"

S

WE

N

Jupiter

40 ASTRONOMY • FEBRUARY 2018

Planets MERCURY VENUS MARS CERES JUPITER SATURN URANUS NEPTUNE PLUTO

Date Feb. 28 Feb. 28 Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Feb. 15 Feb. 15

Magnitude –1.4 –3.9 1. 0 7. 0 –2.1 0. 6 5.9 8. 0 14. 3

Angular size 5. 3" 10. 0 " 6 .1" 0. 8 " 37.4" 15. 6" 3. 5" 2. 2 " 0.1"

Illumination 94% 98% 90% 99% 99% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Distance (AU) from Earth 1.278 1.665 1.537 1.626 5.270 10.671 20.387 30.887 34.299

Distance (AU) from Sun 0.338 0.726 1.588 2.567 5.425 10.065 19.898 29.944 33.505

Right ascension (2000.0) 23h17.9m 23h29.3m 16h40.7m 8h58.4m 15h20.4m 18h25.7m 1h33.9m 22h58.8m 19h26.3m

Declination (2000.0) –5°37' – 4°49' –21°42' 31°30' –17 °13' –22°26' 9°13' –7 °30' –21°34'