This week's night sky highlights Venus shining at its brightest: Uncovering That Luminous Celestial Body
🌌 Each Monday, I dish out North America's celestial delights for the week ahead, applicable to northern hemisphere mid-northern latitudes. Head over to my main feed for in-depth astrology, astronomy, and eclipse coverage!
This Week's Night Sky: Feb. 17-23, 2025
Dive into stargazing and astronomy wonders, from a captivating Venus to the moon's rendezvous with "Mars's rival." Here's your weekly astronomy guide:
Monday, Feb. 17: Venus at its Gladiatorial Best
After sunset, be drawn to Venus's brilliant display on the western horizon. As Venus gets closer to Earth, it appears as a diminishing crescent, with only 23% of its surface illuminated today. Despite its minimal exposure, thanks to both its proximity and magnified reflection, it will sparkle at an eye-popping -4.6 magnitude.
Thursday, Feb. 20: Final-Quarter Moon
Witness a Full-Moon-in-Disguise, a Final-Quarter Moon, glowing half-illuminated and emerging around midnight. Watch as the moon's rising and setting times slip later by about 50 minutes each night, signaling weekend moonless stargazing seasons.
Thursday, Feb. 21: Waning Gibbous Moon, Antares, and Paikauhale
Look to the southeast horizon between 3:00 a.m. local time and dawn to spot a waning gibbous moon appearing a hair's breadth from Antares, the Scorpio constellation's shining star. Antares will tower over the moon. Keep a sharp eye open for the hypergiant star Paikauhale lurking below the moon. Both stars proudly call Scorpio their home.
Star of the Week: Antares
Antares, a red supergiant star 12 times as massive as our sun, is one of the celestial giants we understand. Known for its fiery-red hue (best viewed through binoculars), Antares is commonly referred to as "Mars's rival" due to its rusty-red tone and its close Mars encounters every 26 months. If Antares were placed in our solar system, it would jet towards Jupiter's orbit.
Note that the provided times and dates are tailored to mid-northern latitudes. For exact location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium.
Wishing you a sky full of stars and a mind full of wonders.
[1] Phosphine discovery in Venus' atmosphere: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-03556-x[3] Venus' potential habitability: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128067723000100[5] Venus' investigation: https://www.npr.org/2020/10/14/923217347/venus-has-a-mysterious-chemical-up-in-the-air-and-astrobiologists-want-to-know-w
The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, might make an appearance this week due to the ongoing solar maximum. Keen stargazers should monitor the northern lights forecast for possible celestial displays in the night sky tonight and throughout the week. If you're planning your stargazing session for Monday, don't miss the captivating Venus at its gladiatorial best on the western horizon. In astronomy news, phosphine, a gas typically associated with life, has been confirmed in Venus's atmosphere, sparking new discussions about its potential habitability.
