Saturday SkyWatch
Saturday 22nd February 2025
🌌 Saturday SkyWatch! 🌌
🌅 Sunset & Observatory Hours
Sunset: 7:58 PM
Nautical Sunset: 8:55 PM
Astronomical Sunset: 9:28 PM
Reminder that currently the Observatory will stay open later (until ~11 PM) so everyone can get some viewing time in during the summer months!
☁️ Weather & Viewing Conditions
Cloud is clearing around 5 PM and the forecast is showing it will stay clear throughout viewing times giving us an “Excellent” classification for viewing tonight.
🌙 Moon Phase
Tonight’s Moon is a Third Quarter Moon (37%) and will set at 3:47 PM That means the sky will be dark tonight— great for looking at galaxies and nebulas, as well as the finer details in star clusters and of planets.
🌟 Feature Object: Caldwell 67 (NGC 1097)
As dark skies gives great chances for viewing nebula and galaxies, our feature object for tonight is Caldwell 67; a barred spiral galaxy that is 45 million light years away and has a companion galaxy (NGC 1097A) that it likes to interact with. This gravitational interaction causes tidal debris and distortions making Caldwell 67 look quite different to the standard ideal of a barred spiral galaxy. While you won’t be able to see it through one of the optical telescopes at the Observatory, Wall-e will be out tonight and you can watch a live-stacking of the images it can take of distant objects.
ℹ️ Other Information
Remnants of the Alpha Centaurids meteor shower may still be around so keep an eye out for meteors. Keep in mind though that this meteor shower is very slow (with its peak only giving 6 meteors an hour) so you may only see a meteor if you’re VERY lucky!
As always, feel free to bring along a picnic blanket, some non-alcoholic beverages, and don’t forget your stargazing eyes.
🔭 In the Sky Tonight
Note that just because these objects are in the sky at the moment, you may not always see them. Visibility is dependent on weather, moon brightness, atmospheric conditions, and equipment parameters. Check the the weather and viewing conditions above, and if in doubt ask a friendly volunteer if you’re able to see an object in the night sky!
Around Sunset: Venus in the western sky, Jupiter in the North to North-West Sky, Mars in the North-Eastern to North sky.
Prominent Constellations: Taurus (Setting), Carina, Crux, Canis Major, Canis Minor, Gemini, Cancer, Leo (Rising) and Orion
Bright Stars: Aldebaran, Capella, Rigel, Betelgeuse, Procyon, Sirius, Alpha Centauri, Canopus, Achernar , Fomalhaut, Alnair, Peacock, and Regulus
Nebula: Crab Nebula (M1), Orion Nebula (M42), Flame Nebula (NGC 2024), Horsehead Nebula (IC 434), Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070), Carina Nebula (C 92), Thor’s Helmet (NGC 2359)
Galaxies: Southern Pinwheel Galaxy (M 83), Great Barred Spiral Galaxy (NG 1365), Caldwell 48, Caldwell 77 (Hamburger Galaxy), Sombrero Galaxy (Rising), Sculptor Galaxy (Setting), Caldwell 60 & 61 (Pair of Interacting Galaxies), Caldwell 53.
Star Clusters: 47 Tucanae (NGC 104), Heart-Shaped Cluster (M 50), Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 4755), Southern Pleiades (C 102), Beehive Cluster (M 44), Little Jewel Box Cluster (NGC 3293), Pleiades (M 45), Omega Centauri (C 80), Pinwheel Cluster (M 36), Starfish Cluster (M 38), Wishing-Well Cluster (C 91), Electric-Guitar Cluster (C 71), Critter Cluster (M 93)
Planets: Saturn (setting), Neptune (Setting), Venus (Setting), Uranus, Jupiter, Mars
🪐 Upcoming Astronomical Events for this week
📅 25th Feb: Saturn and Mercury will be close to each other
📅 26th Feb: Saturn and Mercury are in conjunction
📅 28th Feb: New Moon
📅 1st March: Moon and Saturn are in conjunction, Moon and Mercury are at occultation (and therefore conjunction).
As always, don’t forget to look up wherever you are! 🌌
– The TRRO Team