Podcaster: Shane and Chris
Title: Actual Astronomy: Observer’s Calendar for February 2025
Organization: Actual Astronomy
Link : https://actualastronomy.podbean.com/ ; https://www.deepskyeye.com/
Description: The Actual Astronomy Podcast presents The Observer’s Calendar for February 2025. In this episode we talk about what you can see in the February 2025 night sky. This month we focus on all the planets you can see, rays and craters on the Moon as well as a few deep sky objects you might see on a winter vacation.
Bio: Shane and Chris are amateur astronomers who enjoy teaching astronomy classes and performing outreach where they help the eyes of the public to telescope eyepieces.
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Transcript:
The Observer’s Calendar for February 2025 Episode 468 of the Actual Astronomy podcast. I’m Chris and joining me is Shane. We are amateur astronomers who love looking up at the night sky and this podcast is for everyone who enjoys going out under the stars.
- February 1 – Venus, Moon, Neptune and Saturn congregate in the SW this week
- Moon occults Neptune 6:00 pm this evening
- 28 Bellona at opposition (m=9.8)
28 Bellona is a large main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by German astronomer R. Luther on March 1, 1854, and named after Bellōna, the Roman goddess of war; the name was chosen to mark the beginning of the Crimean War. Its historical symbol was Bellona’s whip and spear; it is in the pipeline for Unicode 17.0 as U+1CECE
Bellona is a stony (S-type) asteroid with a cross-section size of around 100–120 km. 28 Bellona is orbiting the Sun with a period of 4.63 years.
- Feb 3rd – GC NGC 1851 Culminates – A bit too far South for +50N
- Feb 4th. OC M 41 Culminates
- Feb 5th – First Quarter Moon
- – Lunar X near crater Werner visible along with Lunar “V”.
- Magnus Ray Visible on Moon
- Moon 0.5-degrees North of Pleiades CALENDAR ERROR says 6th
- Feb 6th – Lunar Straight Wall visible this evening
- Feb 6th – Jupiter 5-degrees South of Moon
- Feb 9th – Mars 0.8 degrees South of Moon
- – Moon Occults Mars 3pm EST this afternoon
- Feb 11th – NGC 3132 8 Burst Culminates
- Feb 12th – Full moon
- – Amphitrite at Opposition m=9
29 Amphitrite is one of the largest S-type asteroids, approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) in diameter, and probably fifth largest after Eunomia, Juno, Iris and Herculina.
Amphitrite was discovered by Albert Marth on 1 March 1854, at the private South Villa Observatory, in Regent’s Park, London. It was Marth’s only asteroid discovery. Its name was chosen by George Bishop, the owner of the observatory, who named it after Amphitrite, a sea goddess in Greek mythology.
- Feb 14th – Venus Greatest. Illumination extent
- Feb 15th – Endymion sunset rays visible on Moon
- Carbon stars Z Psc & S Cep at their best tonight
- Feb 20th – Last Quarter Moon
- Zodiacal Light visible in Western Sky after Sunset
- Feb 21st – Antares 0.4-degrees North of the Moon
- Lunar Curtis X visible in Western NA
- Feb 24th – Mare Orientale visible on the Moon
- Carbon Star X Sge at it’s best tonight
- NGC 2477 Culminates tonight
- Feb 25th.- Mercury 1.7-degrees North of Saturn
- Feb 28th – Young Crescent Moon Visible after sunset
- Mercury 0.4 degrees North of Moon with Saturn and Venus in a line
- Gegenschein visible from a very dark site, highest in South at midnight
Concluding Listener Message: Please subscribe and share the show with other stargazers you know and send us show ideas, observations and questions to actualastronomy@gmail.com
Non-Astronomy Stuff we do when observing on Episode 469 of the Actual Astronomy podcast. I’m Chris and joining me is Shane. We are amateur astronomers who love looking up at the night sky and this podcast is for everyone who enjoys going out under the stars.
- Out here I can do all sorts of stuff, set-up and be going a variety of things while observing.
- Music? Radio? Podcasts?
- Socialize?
- Look through other scopes / compare gear
- Text / talk on the phone with other observers like Eric, Royce, etc.
- Listen to Nature – Lake ice last year – Owls, Coyotes, Sit in a boat
- Sleep
- Work on gear / observatory
- Work on observers calendar
- Answer Listener Emails
- Write Podcast notes
- Drink / Eat / Snack – favourites?
- Smoke Cigars?
Concluding Listener Message: Please subscribe and share the show with other stargazers you know and send us show ideas, observations and questions to actualastronomy@gmail.com
365 Days of Astronomy
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As we wrap up today’s episode, we are looking forward to unravel more stories from the Universe. With every new discovery from ground-based and space-based observatories, and each milestone in space exploration, we come closer to understanding the cosmos and our place within it.
Until next time and let the stars guide your curiosity!