macpuzlBy Chuck McPartlin
The International Space Station will be making a few visible passes through Santa Barbara’s evening skies in early February, if the sky is clear. Its orbit may change from time to time, so to get the latest and most complete predictions, visit Heavens Above.
On Monday, February 1, the space station will make a brief appearance for 27 seconds low in the NNW, at 5:16 PM PST, between Cygnus and Draco.
Tuesday’s pass will be brighter and longer, starting at 6:29 PM in the N, passing below Ursa Minor’s Little Dipper asterism, and ending at 6:32 PM just after crossing the bowl of the Big Dipper asterism in the NE.
The ISS will rise on Wednesday at 7:18 PM in the NW in Cygnus, climbing up into the house shape of Cepheus in the NNW, where it will vanish into our shadow at an altitude of 32 degrees at 7:20 PM.
The station will appear twice on Thursday. It will rise at 6:30 PM in the NNW, near the tail of Cygnus, cruise below Polaris, the North Star, and then through the nose of Ursa Major, and fade out in the E at 6:35 PM in dim Cancer, the Crab. On the next orbit, it will pop up for 7 seconds at 8:07 PM in the W just below the Great Square asterism of Pegasus.
On Friday, February 5, it will start in the WNW at 7:20 PM, and pass through Cygnus, Pegasus, Pisces, and Cetus before fading away in the SSW in dim Eridanus at 7:23 PM.
Saturday’s pass should be the best and brightest, rising at 6:32 PM in the NW in Cygnus, visiting Lacerta, Andromeda, and Aries, then past Mars down into Lepus to set in the SE below the hind leg of Canis Major at 6:39 PM.
We won’t see the ISS on Sunday, but it will make a lower, dimmer repeat of Saturday’s pass on Monday, starting at 6:35 PM in the W, and ending in the S at 6:39 PM.
The ISS will return to our evening sky in mid-March, but in the interim, it will have some bright predawn appearances that you may find at the Heavens Above link.
The Sky for February
February 2 is Groundhog Day, and is a cross-quarter day marking the middle of Winter. Whether Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, or not, we still have about six weeks left.
Mars is still hanging around in our night sky, but has become much dimmer and smaller as we race away in our orbit. Still, it will be in the news this month as the spacecraft launched in July get there. The first will be the Hope orbiter of the United Arab Emirates, arriving on February 9. The next day, the Chinese Tianwen-1 (“Heavenly Questions”) orbiter and lander will show up. NASA’s Perseverance rover follow them on February 18, landing around lunch time for us.
The Winter Circle of stars centered on Betelgeuse is prominent on February evenings. This is the biggest assemblage of bright stars you’ll see all year long. The perimeter of circle is marked by Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Castor, Pollux, Procyon, and Sirius.
While you’re out enjoying the sights in and around Orion, take a telescopic peek at a fun asterism up in his club. Officially, it is called NGC 2169, since it is entry number 2,169 in the New General Catalog of astronomical objects, which dates back to William Herschel’s list of observations from the late 1700s. But NGC 2169 has another, unofficial name and number to amateur astronomers. Because of its appearance, it’s called the 37 cluster. If your scope gives a correct view, the stars seem to form the numerals 3 and 7. If you have a flipped view, it sort of looks like a shopping cart.
Finally, in the predawn sky on February 25, look for Mercury, Jupiter, and Saturn low in the ESE.
