With the thick end of winter behind us and only one month to go before spring, we start the month only six weeks from the spring equinox.
The chilling winds of winter are far from over and there will still be a few frosty mornings to come, but at atleast we can see the days getting noticeably longer and the promise of the heady hot days of summer to come.
This month we see Jupiter and Venus finish their dance towards the west as they finally disappear into the evening twilight, eventually setting with the sun by the end of the month. Look westward just after dark to get a last glimpse.
Saturn still dominates the evening sky. You can see it in the constellation of Libra right next to Scorpio. Look for a conspicuous bright yellow star just in front of the scorpion's claws. Saturn has just passed its closest approach to our planet and is now starting to dim but is still outshining everything else in its region of the sky. You will need a small telescope to see its rings now fully open.
If you are up and about in the morning, eagle-eyed observers might be able to spot Mercury making a brief appearance just before sunrise. Mars also makes an appearance, rising before the dawn by month's end.
The best constellation for observing this month is our winter constellation Scorpio. Look overhead for a bright red star. This is the red super-giant Antares. A star that is on the verge of exploding, but don't worry, it won't do it for thousands of years yet. This is the heart of Scorpio. The long hook of stars that it is part of mark its tail.
As for meteors, the Perseid meteor shower peaks this month between the ninth and 13th.
For more information contact the Rotorua Astronomical Society, you can find us on Facebook.
