The Celestial Sphere

by Matthew Johnson

With space missions planned for launch by Russia, Japan, South Korea, the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, and the James Webb Space Telescope functioning properly after achieving its distant orbit away from the thermal interference of the earth, moon and sun, 2022 may prove to be a spectacular year for astronomy and cosmology. 

The moon has once again become a focus. The Japanese space agency plans to launch its first lunar lander, the Smart Lander for Investigating the Moon (SLIM), this year. Also scheduled for 2022: Russia’s Roscosmos space agency’s launch of the Luna-25 moon lander; South Korea’s first lunar mission, the Korean Pathfinder Lunar Orbiter (KPLO); and NASA’s four moon initiatives: Intuitive Machines 1 (IM-1), Polar Resources Ice Mining Experiment (Prime-1), Peregrine Mission 1 and the XL-1 lander. 

The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter will have a close flyby of the planet Venus in September and then move on to its first encounter with the sun, bringing the probe to within 30 million miles of our star to begin its observations. NASA will launch its Psyche mission to visit the asteroid 16 Psyche. On board will be a secondary mission, Janus, which consists of two small craft that will visit the binary asteroids 2022 (175706), 1996 FG-3, and (35107) 1991 VH. 

In June, the ESA will launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) mission to study Europa, Ganymede and Callisto, three of Jupiter’s largest moons, discovered by Galileo in 1610. The ExoMars 2022 then launches in September, carrying a Russian lander with an ESA rover, which will reach Mars by mid-2023.

Observing: 

As far as naked eye observation of the planets, February skies will be a bit lonely. We will be saying good-by for now to Saturn and Jupiter, which graced our skies all summer and fall. Jupiter will stop by the moon for one final apparition the nights of Feb. 2 to 4. At dusk, 40 minutes after sunset, look southwest. The planet Jupiter will glow brightly just above and to the right of the crescent moon. On the 3rd, the moon will be above and to the left of Jupiter; on the 4th, the crescent moon will be even higher in the sky and again to Jupiter’s left. At dawn on Feb. 5, look southeast 30 minutes before sunrise. Brilliant Venus will be about 30 degrees above the horizon, with tiny russet Mars below and to the right, just above the teapot asterism of the constellation Sagittarius. The planet Mercury will be directly left of the handle of the Sagittarius teapot. Toward the end of February, looking southeast at dawn, the waning crescent moon on the 26th will be just inside the Sagittarius teapot handle, with Mars to the left and Venus just above Mars. On the 27th, the moon will be exactly under Mars, with Venus exactly above Mars. 

The constellation of Orion dominates the winter sky. This magnificent and legendary system of stars more than makes up for the loss this February of the naked eye planets. 

Meteor showers: 

There are no major meteor showers during the month of February. The Alpha Centaurids is a minor southern hemispheric meteor shower situated within the boundaries of the constellation of Centarus. 

Moon Phases: 

Feb. 1: New moon (no visible moon).

Feb. 8: First quarter (right half of the moon illuminated; moon waxing).

Feb. 16: Full moon. 

Feb. 23: Last quarter (left half of the moon illuminated; moon waning). 

February’s full moon is the Snow Moon. In 1760, Captain Jonathan Carver was with the Naudowessie (Dakota) tribe. He wrote that the name they used was the Snow Moon “because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter.” There are historical connections to animals for February’s full moon. The Cree called this the Bald Eagle or Eagle Moon. The Ojibwe called it the Bear Moon. and the Tlingit the Black Bear Moon. These refer to the time when bear cubs are born. The Cherokee named it the Bony and Hungry Moon, evidencing the fact that food was hard to come by at this time of the year.