Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, February 10th and 11th, 2025 written by Joe Slomka

This is the Skywatch Line for Monday and Tuesday, February 10th and 11th.

The Sun sets at 5:21 PM; night falls at 6:57. Dawn begins at 5:22 AM and ends with the Sun rising at 6:58.

Cancer hosts the Moon on both nights. Monday’s Moon sets at 6:14 AM and rises at 3:15 PM in the Northeast, 16° high, 97% illuminated and appears 30 arc-minutes in size. Tuesday’s sets at 6:47 AM, 4° high, same size, 99° lit and sets at 4:46 PM. Wednesday’s Moon sets at 7:14 AM and the Full Wolf Moon at 8:53 AM. On both nights, Castor, Pollux, Moon and Mars can be sighted by eyes, binoculars and telescopes; Castor and Pollux are only 6° from Mars.

Saturn, close to western Aquarius, rises at 8:15 AM, first magnitude, appears 16 arc-seconds, highest at 1:51 PM, 5° high and sets at 7:30 PM. Neptune, 9° from Saturn, in Pisces, rises at 8:34 AM, 8th magnitude, highest at 2:25 PM, 2 arc-seconds, 14° highest and sets at 8:21 PM. Neptune and Venus share Pisces. Venus is third in tight formation, 8° from Neptune, rises at 8:23 AM, blazes with minus 4th magnitude, moderate 37 arc-seconds, highest at 2:40 PM, 22° high, 30% illuminated and sets at 9 PM.

Southwestern Uranus, in Aries, rises at 10:43, 5th magnitude, 3 arc-seconds, 62° highest at 5:53 PM and sets at 1:11 AM.

Jupiter, in southern Taurus, rises at 11:43, becomes brightest once Venus sets, minus 2nd magnitude, large 42 arc-seconds, highest at 7:08 PM, 69° high and sets at 2:41 AM. Monday, the Great Red Spot (a giant storm) is visible at 8 PM; Tuesday reveals Ganymede beginning to cross the planet at 12:38 AM and ends at 2:56 AM. Wednesday features the Great Red Spot at 1:49 AM.

Mars rises in eastern Gemini at 2 PM, shines with minus zero magnitude, 13 arc-seconds, 51° high at 7 PM, 73° highest at 9:50 PM and sets at 5:41 AM.

Mercury undergoes Superior Conjunction, which means that the Sun blocks it from view.

Polaris, the Pole or North Star, is one of the most famous stars. Most people think that it is the brightest, really second magnitude. An accident of place, Polaris happens to occupy the location closest to true North. In a few thousand years, it will drift away, and another becomes Pole Star. A multiple star system, astronomers recently discovered a third member, about four times heavier than our own Sun. Polaris is a variable star, periodically brightening and dimming. Polaris is a Cepheid variable, the brightest of its kind. Cepheids are valuable stars. The period of variation is in direct ratio to brightness. When an observer sees a Cepheid and tracks its cycles, he can determine its intrinsic brilliance and distance.

Clear Skies Joe Slomka