This Week’s Stargazing for Jan. 28th – Feb. 3
January 28: IC 1396
A cluster known as IC 1396 has given birth to thousands of stars and is still forming more. It stands a third of the way up the northwestern sky at nightfall. It’s visible through binoculars high above Deneb, the bright star at the tail of the swan.
January 29: Moon and Spica
The gibbous Moon passes over a bright star at dawn tomorrow. Spica, the leading light of Virgo, shines just a few degrees below the Moon, so you can’t miss it.
January 30: Moon and Companions
Two bright lights flank the Moon at dawn tomorrow. The star Spica stands to the right of the Moon, while the planet Mars looks like a bright orange star to the lower left of the Moon.
January 31: Moon and Mars
Look for Mars quite close to the lower right of the Moon at first light tomorrow. The little planet looks like a bright orange star. Earth and Mars are moving closer together, so Mars will grow much brighter over the next few months.
February 1: The Whole Gang
All five planets that are easily visible to the unaided eye are in view at dawn. Venus, the “morning star,” is in the southeast tomorrow, with Mercury close to its lower left. Mars and Saturn are in the south (with the Moon between them), with Jupiter in the west-southwest.
February 2: Moon and Saturn
The Moon has a couple of bright companions before dawn tomorrow. The planet Saturn looks like a golden star just below the Moon, and the true star Antares is to their lower right, shining bright orange.
February 3: Hydra
Hydra, the water snake, slithers across the south tonight. It’s so big that it takes more than seven hours for the whole snake to rise. The stars that mark its head rise around sunset, while its tail clears the southeastern horizon after midnight.
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