The new moon will occur on February 9 at 5:59 PM EST (2259 GMT) in New York. According to the US Naval ObservatoryOn the same day, Mars, Venus and Mercury form a planetary row in the pre-dawn hours.
When the Moon comes directly between the Sun and the Earth, we experience a new moon. Two objects share the same celestial longitude, the projection of the Earth’s own lines of longitude onto the celestial sphere, the alignment also called conjunction. New moons are not visible unless the moon passes directly in front of the sun, creating a solar eclipse (next on April 8). The phases of the moon depend on the position of the moon relative to the Earth, so the timing is the same with differences that are a result of time zones.
February’s new moon occurs just hours before the moon reaches its closest point to Earth during its orbit. During a full moon, this causes the moon to appear slightly larger than at other times, giving rise to the popular term “super moon”. The moon will technically appear larger due to its proximity to Earth during the new moon, but will be invisible when lost in the sun’s glare.
Relating to: Full moon calendar 2024: When will the next full moon be seen?
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In many cultures (especially Hebrew, Muslim, and Chinese), new moons mark the beginning of the lunar months. For example, in Hebrew, the February new month is the last day of the month of Shevat, while in the Islamic calendar it is the 28th day of the month of Rajab; this is the day after many Muslims celebrate the prophet Muhammad’s nightly journey to Jerusalem.
In the Chinese calendar, this day is the 30th day of the last month, called Làyuè (腊月), or Preserved Moon, for the tradition of preserving food before the Spring Festival on February 10, the next day. Zhēngyuè (正月) or the Beginning month for the beginning of the year.
Visible Planets
One can look southeast to see Venus before sunrise on February 9; planet rising in new york 5:27 local time. Sunrise hasn’t started yet 6:58 am. and civil twilight at 6:29 a.m. (the time when street lights will begin to turn off in many places).
Venus Ascendant is relatively easy to spot; Venus is the third brightest object in the sky, so it should be easy to spot, and we can use it to find Mars, which will be to its left and below it (from mid-northern latitudes). Mars will be much harder to see because it’s rising 5:53 am, as the sky begins to lighten. At sunrise, Mars will be only about 9 degrees above sea level.
Mercury last rises at 6:28 a.m. and is largely lost in sunlight at sunrise, being only 5 degrees above and to the left of Mars. A note of caution: Observing any object close to the Sun requires caution; It is important to be careful as accidentally pointing an optical aid (such as binoculars) at the sun can cause permanent eye damage. This is true even for the bright part of the sky just before sunrise.
As you move south, the angle of the three planets with the horizon will become steeper. Venus rising in Miami 5:17 am local time and Mars follows 5:43 am Mercury rises at 6:21 a.m. As the sun rises 7.00am All three planets are higher in the sky than in New York City—Mercury is a full two degrees higher, about 7 and a half degrees above the horizon. It will still be very difficult to see, but it will be easier to find than at higher latitudes. If one has a flat horizon and clear conditions, one can see it as it arises. At sunrise, Mars is 15 degrees above the horizon, while Venus is almost 20 degrees above the horizon.
Closer to the equator, the planetary trio rises; In Quito, Venus appears directly above Mars, which in turn is directly above Mercury. Venus is 21 degrees above the horizon at 6 a.m.; planet rising 4:20 am Local time. mars rising 4:43 and Mercury rises at 5:33 a.m.; at 6:25 a.m., almost an hour before sunrise. At sunrise on February 9, Venus was at an altitude of 27 degrees and Mars was at an altitude of 21 degrees; Mercury reaches about 12 degrees, while Mars is 19 degrees above the horizon. Venus This makes the innermost planet easier to find; If one has a flat horizon and clear conditions, one can see it as it arises.
As we move further into the Southern Hemisphere, our planetary line begins to tilt backwards towards the horizon (albeit in the opposite direction from the Northern Hemisphere). From Santiago, Chile, Venus will appear above and to the left of Mars, which will be above and to the left of Mercury. Santiago is about 33 degrees south, just below the equator, about as far below as Charleston, South Carolina, is above it. At sunrise at 7:13 on the morning of February 9, Venus was at an altitude of 27 degrees and Mars was at an altitude of 22 degrees; Mercury reaches about 13 degrees.
At mid-northern latitudes (such as in New York) Jupiter is high in the western half of the sky in the constellation Aries on the evening of February 9. By 6pm it is almost 60 degrees above the horizon, easy to see as the sky darkens (sunset in New York is at 5:23pm) The planet sets at 11:54pm that evening Saturn, meanwhile, is much closer to Saturn. horizon at sunset; only 13 degrees elevation in the southwest; Observers won’t have much chance of catching the planet before it sets at 18:45
In Quito, Jupiter is similarly high in the sky on February 9; A high of exactly 67 degrees in the west at sunset (18:31 local time). The planet will become more visible after a while; As of 19:30 it is still 55 degrees above the western horizon, and the planet sets at 23:24, while Saturn sets at 19:38, which means when the sky is dark enough to see it. In the sky – around 19:00 – the planet is only 8 degrees high.
From Santiago, Chile, where the sun sets late (cities such as Cape Town and Sydney, Australia are also close to this latitude), at 20:40 (it is summer in the Southern Hemisphere) Jupiter is lower than in the Northern Hemisphere. , only 35 degrees elevation in the northwest at sunset; It sets at 12:16 on February 10. At sunset, Saturn is only 10 degrees above sea level; It is set at 21.34 local time. When the sky darkens, the planet is almost too close to the horizon to be easily observed.
constellations
Around 7 p.m., the Big Dipper will rise from the northeast, the “bowl” pointing north (left) and the “handle” pointing toward the horizon. The two stars at one end of the Dipper are Alpha and Beta Ursae Majoris, also called Dubhe and Merak. Not only is Dubhe the brightest star of the Ursa Major, but the name “Dubhe” is an Arabic word meaning “bear”. Two stars point to Polaris, the North Star. Using the same “pointers” you can go in the opposite direction and find Leo the Lion, which will rise above the eastern horizon. The two stars behind the Dipper’s bowl point to the star Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo.
When turning southward from mid-northern latitudes, Canis Major, Orion and Taurus are seen. Orion’s famous belt is even visible from urban landmarks, such as Sirius, the “Dog Star” in Canis Major. When you go towards the summit from the north, the charioteer Auriga and the legendary Greek hero Perseus will be seen. At 21:00 in the evening Sirius approaches almost to the south; The star transits or crosses the meridian roughly between 21:00 and 22:00 local time (this depends on how close to the eastern or western edge of one’s time zone boundary).
When Sirius reaches its highest point, a large six-sided asterism called the Winter Hexagon can be seen. This is a pattern formed by Capella (the northernmost and highest of the group) with Aldebaran, Rigel, Sirius, Procyon and Pollux moving clockwise. Procyon is a bright white star, Alpha Canis Minoris, the alpha star of Canis Minor, and one of our nearest stellar neighbors at 11.5 light-years away; The only bright star closer to us in the Northern Hemisphere skies is Sirius, 8.6 light-years away.
As the night progresses, observers can watch Virgo rising towards midnight. The Big Dipper can help here; Using the handle, one can “arc to Arcturus” by drawing a wide arc to Arcturus, an orange-yellow star in Boötes the Shepherd, and then continue to reach Spica, the brightest star of Virgo. The bucket will be high in the northeast, with the bowl facing down and to the left.
Around 21:30 in the Southern Hemisphere, it is completely dark and the Southern Cross is rising in the southeast. There is no equivalent of Polaris in the southern skies; The Crux, or Southern Cross, can be used to indicate the direction of the Southern Celestial Pole, but constellations in this region, such as Chamaeleon and Octans, are made up of fainter stars (none of which are at the Southern Celestial Pole).
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A good method to find the pole is to draw an imaginary line from the center of Crux (along the vertical part of the cross) and continue until you hit another bright star called Achernar, which will be on the opposite side. on the side and about the same distance from the Pole as the Cross. The Southern Celestial Pole is about half that size. Just below Crux is the constellation Centaur, which contains our nearest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri; To the left of Alpha Centauri is Centaur’s second brightest star, Hadar.
Looking upwards to the southeast – following the Milky Way if you are in a dark sky region – you encounter the three constellations that make up the Argo, the legendary ship that carried Jason and the Argonauts: Puppis on deck, Vela and Carina under sail. spine. Even though the Milky Way cannot be seen due to city lights, the “cluster” of relatively bright stars in the area is notable. Vela Vela is a rough circle of eight medium-bright stars. To the right of Vela is Carina, whose brightest star is Canopus, one of the brightest stars in the solar region. It is 310 light-years away and has a magnitude of -0.76, making it about 10,000 times brighter than the Sun. Observations by the European Southern Observatory.