Skywatch Line for Wednesday and Thursday, February 12 and 13, 2025, written by Alan French
This is Dudley Observatory’s Skywatch Line for Wednesday and Thursday, February 12 and 13, 2025, written by Alan French.
The Sun rises at 6:56 A.M. on Wednesday and sets at 5:23 P.M. On Thursday it rises at 6:55 A.M. and sets at 5:25 P.M. Thursday gained 18 minutes, 17 seconds of daylight compared to last Thursday.
The Moon reaches full, the Snow Moon, Wednesday morning, when it is below our horizon. It rises at 5:36 P.M. in the east northeast. By 6 P.M. it will be 3 ½ degrees high and appear just less than fully sunlit, with 99.8% of its visible face in sunlight. The Moon will be due south, 58 degrees above the horizon, at 42 minutes after midnight Thursday morning and will set toward the west southwest at 7:36 A.M.
The Moon will be in Leo, the Lion, on Wednesday and Thursday, but on Wednesday it will be near Leo’s brightest star, Regulus. Regulus will be to the south (right) of the Moon if you are facing east. The pair will be closest together at 6:54 P.M., but the separation changes slowly and they will remain less than 2 degrees apart until 9:30 P.M.
On Thursday the Moon rises at 6:42 P.M. toward the east. By 8 P.M. the Moon will be 13 degrees above the eastern horizon and appear just under 98% sunlit. The Moon will set at 7:55 A.M. Friday morning. The Moon is moving toward last quarter and will be at last quarter on Thursday, February 20.
By 6:30 P.M. Venus, at magnitude -4.6, will be 27 degrees above the horizon toward the west. Through a telescope it now appears like a fat crescent, 29% sunlit, and 38 arcseconds in diameter.
With Venus well east of the Sun it is fun to catch Venus in the daytime sky. If the sky is clear, its brightness makes it easy to spot, the problem is finding it against the bright blue sky. The best approach is the place a comfortable, reclining chair in the shade to the east of a building, where the Sun is completely out of sight, and with a good view south, when Venus is due south, or a few minutes earlier.
On Wednesday Venus will be due south and 53 degrees above the southern horizon at 2:38 P.M. On Thursday it will be due south and 53 degrees high at 2:36 P.M. Estimating altitudes can be difficult; I often find I look too low at first.
When I was younger, I had good luck spotting Venus by eye, but it always took time and patience. Once located it seemed odd it had been so hard to find, but beware – it is easy to lose again! It can be handy to note a distant landmark it is right above. In my older age I find it much easier to scan with binoculars. Be sure, of course, to first focus them on a distant object. Planes are good. When scanning, be sure to stay in the shade where the Sun is completely out of view.