The Evening Sky This Week

Every Monday I pick the northern hemisphere’s celestial highlights (mid-northern latitudes) for the week forward, however make sure you test my important feed for extra in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and extra.

What To See In The Evening Sky This Week: February 13-19, 2023

Wish to see the “inexperienced comet” tonight? It’s been within the information for all of 2023, however few folks have been capable of get eyes-on with the elusive C/2022 E3 (ZTF). Nevertheless, you continue to have an opportunity to catch the perfect comet of 2023! Particulars beneath.

With the arrival of a Final Quarter Moon to start out the week it’s a very good time to go stargazing, planet-spotting and comet-hunting. Venus is getting brighter within the post-sunset western sky, this week passing near Neptune. It’s an excuse to get eyes on the eighth and put up distant planet, although you will have binoculars.

It’s additionally an excellent week for getting up early to see a beautiful crescent Moon within the east, although because the nights turn out to be moonless it’s time to pick-out constellations and use a telescope to discover the deep sky.

‘Inexperienced comet’ tracker: see the comet this week

The place is the “inexperienced” comet tonight? Comet C/2022 E3 is previous its greatest and has pale barely since its closest level to Earth on Feb. 1. Nevertheless, since then the Moon has been waning in brightness, making it really barely simpler to identify—if the place to look.

Right here’s a very helpful sky-chart that will help you discover the “inexperienced comet” this week and past:

Professional suggestions for seeing the ‘inexperienced comet’

• You’ll need to look to the southeast sky—discover Orion’s Belt and go larger up into the night time sky heading south to seek out Taurus and Aldebaran, the thirteenth brightest star within the night time sky.
• You will want binoculars and also you’ll even have to make use of the approach known as “averted imaginative and prescient”—when you’ve discovered the fuzzy patch that’s comet C/2022 E3, look barely away from it. Which will appear counterintuitive, however your outer eye will higher recognize the article’s brightness.
• Lastly, don’t anticipate it to be inexperienced! Its shade solely comes out in long-exposure images.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023: Moon and Antares

A 41%-lit waning gibbous moon will shine very near Antares within the predawn sky. Antares is the brightest star on the constellation of Scorpius, which lies throughout the center of the Milky Manner galaxy we reside in.

Wednesday, February 15, 2023: Venus and Neptune

The eighth planet from the solar will not be significantly straightforward to seek out within the night time sky, largely as a result of it’s so small and dim. Nevertheless, tonight the super-bright planet Venus will information you to it. The 2 planets will likely be simply 45” aside within the post-sunset sky. Look west as quickly because it will get darkish—this sight will sink inside a few hours.

Thursday, February 16, 2023: Saturn behind the Solar

Goodbye, ringed planet! Saturn has dropped out of the night sky in current weeks and is now misplaced within the glare of the solar. Right now it’s on the solar’s far aspect. It would reemerge within the morning sky subsequent week.

Friday, February 17, 2023: Crescent moon and Mercury Solar

Look to the southeast on the cusp of daybreak and also you’ll see a 12%-lit waning crescent moon. Use binoculars to seek out Mercury to its lower-left.

Object of the week: Venus

The second rock from the solar, Venus has been seen after sundown since late December and rising into the post-sunset night sky ever since. It’s now hanging round for much longer after darkish, by month’s finish shining for about two hours earlier than setting within the west.

Instances and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For essentially the most correct location-specific info seek the advice of on-line planetariums like Stellarium and The Sky Stay. Examine planet-rise/planet-set, dawn/sundown and moonrise/moonset instances for the place you’re.

Wishing you clear skies and extensive eyes.