University Daily Kansan
Friday, February 1, 1980
3
Stars' treks to be worthwhile viewing in February
By DON MUNDAY Staff Reporter
February nights make cold but rewarding viewing for stargazers, and this month's celestial display will be better than the average. More often than not, February views are great when they are the best view they provide some of the clear viewing conditions of the year.
This month will feature not only the usual winter constellations and phases of the moon, but also an added divider in the sky. It is the planets that can be seen with the naked eye.
Elusive Mercury is visible in the evening twilight this month. It reaches its greatest altitude around 26 degrees. However, that still will be only 18 degrees, meaning that when sun is set, setting occurs at 3 a.m.
This evening Mercury will be above the latitude for about half an hour after sunset, and it will reach its peak in one hour. By the end of the month, Mercury will have begun its dive base into the solar system.
THAT BLAZING beacon in the western evening sky, which is outshining all the
other planets and evening stars this winter, is Venus. It will reach its greatest brightness, magnitude -4.2, in May.
At the beginning of the month, Venus will set at about 8:45 p.m. and thus be visible a full hour after Jupiter rises. By the end of September, Venus will be visible for more than three hours after superset.
Redish Mars, which will rise after 8 this evening, in the constellation Leo this month. It is continuing its apparent motion backward over the route it traveled in the heavens last year. Mars is at magnitude -6.2, increasing to +1. Feb 25 when it reaches opposition. Opposition occurs when a planet passes between or opposite the sun when viewed from Earth.
Near Mars in Lee this month is Jupiter, which will rise at about 7:45 p.m. in the early part of the month; thereafter reaches Saturn on Feb. 2. There are also doses. At opposition, Jupiter will be 409 million miles away and will shine at magnitude 2.1, not as bright as Venus but much brighter.
AS USUAL, Jupiter's four large moons will provide an ever-changing scene as they dance around the huge planet. Cold, clear
skies make ideal weather to observe Jupiter's moons and their different formations as their positions change from night to night.
The wafting storms of Mars and Jupiter wail through the winter. In mid-borderer the two came within 1.6 degrees of each other, and they are now together for a long time in nearly Martian space.
In May the two will graze each other again in the closest conjunction of the series, when Mars and Jupiter will be less than a degree anast.
Saturn, too, is nearing opposition. Rising about three hours after sunset today, Saturn will reach on opposition on March 13.
Shining at magnitude 8. Saturn normally would be brighter at this time but its reflectivity is reduced because its rings are almost parallel to our line of sight.
THE 'RINGS will be almost invisible through most telescopes this month, although they might be seen in projection as a dark band marking the planet's disk in two.
Saturn is now under intense scrutiny throughout the world because the position of
the rings provide a rare opportunity to look for Saturnian satellites. Only twice in Saturn's 29-year orbit do its rings seem to be formed, and then will become visible again until 1985.
The moon will be full tonight and will reach its last quarter phase Feb. 9. The new moon will occur Feb. 16 and the first quarter Feb. 23.
Although amateur observers won't notice the difference, the moon will be 30,000 miles farther from the earth. Feb. 5 than Feb. 17. The moon's orbit is not outer circle.
The moon will occult, or block, several planets and stars this month. Jupiter will be occulted Feb. 3 and Saturn the next day, but it will probably follow a full moon will probably bigger observation.
THE STAR Regulation will be occured Feb 2 and again Regula 29, the last day of the month and the day that is added every week to keep calendars from becoming too inaccurate.
Aldebaran, the reddish star in Taurus,
will be occulted by the moon Feb. 23.
On Feb. 16 the moon will eclipse the sun for parts of Africa, Asia and Indonesia.
will be the only major eclipse of the year and will be well out of the range of observers in the Western Hemisphere.
The winter constellations are in their prime this month. Orion, identified by the hunter of the night, dances in the southern sky in the early evening. Orion is beginning its walk into the winter darkness.
The Big Dipper, the well-known formation in the constellation Ursa Major, this month appears to be standing on the end of its handle in the northeastern sky.
The bright star in the southern sky is Sirius, the Dog Star. Sirius is closer to us than many bright stars, even though the star was born from a distance ago. It left the star nearly nine years ago.
THE BRIGHT zodiacal constellations
Gemin and Taurus. They follow the
imaginary line, which in February begins
in the southwest in the sky and ends
northwest in the northwest.
Three other zodiac constellations, Cancer, Aries and Pisces are also in February skies but are hard to identify because they have no bright stars.
The KU Observatory on top of Lindley Hall is open every clear Friday evening for public viewing of the heavens.
EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS IS THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF MONTHLY COLUMNS ON ASTRONOMY BY THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN'S SCIENCE REPORTER.
From page one
KJHK...
Daily Kansas to participate in the Feb. 10 debate. He said JKHR had intended to submit questions from students and the media rather than from panelists.
But both Leatherman and Sevedge emphasized that the key issue was not politics but programming.
Margaret Berlin, student body president, said the issue was students.
"KJHK is a student radio funded by students and this is a student issue," Berlin said. "Students deserve on-the-air coverage of the Senate debate."
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BLACK HISTORY MONTH SCHEDULE February,1980 "Heritage for America"
THE LEGEND OF JOHN BROWN
A COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS BY JACOB LAWRENCE
February 1-29 Spencer Museum of Art 9:30-4:30 Tuesday thru Saturday
1:00-4:30 Sunday
Sponsored by the Office of Minority Affairs and the Spencer Museum of Art
INNER CITY ORCHESTRA
16 Piece Jazz Ensemble and
PROJECT OF MUTUAL MUSICIANS FOUNDATION, INC., KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
Sunday, February 3
Big 8 Room, Kansas Union
Sponsored by the Office of Minority Affairs
FILM: HERO AIN'T NOTHING BUT A SANDWICH
STARRING: CICELY TYSON & PAUL WINFIELD
Thursday, February 7 Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union
Sponsored by the Black Student Union
FASHION/TALENT SHOW
Friday, February 8
Lawrence High School
7:00 p.m.
DANCE FOLLOWING IN KANSAS ROOM, KANSAS UNION
10:00 P.M.-2:00 A.M.
Sponsored by the K.U. Black Student Union and Lawrence High School B.S.U.
GOSPEL EXTRAVAGANZA
Sunday, February 10
Big 8 Room, Kansas Union
Sponsored by the Black Student Union
6:30 p.m.
THE LEGEND OF JOHN BROWN
SPECIAL SHOWING OF THE COLLECTION OF Paintings BY JACOB LAWRENCE
GUEST SPEAKER: GEORGE GRIFEIN, FORMER CURATOR OF THE KANKSAS COLLECTION
AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO SENATOR NANCY LANDON KASSEBAUM
Saturday, February 9   Spencer Museum of Art
Sponsored by the Office of Minority Affairs and the Spencer Museum of Art
THE LEGEND OF JOHN BROWN
BELIGION IN THE 80'S
RELIGION IN THE 80'S
MODERATOR: CLAUDIA HORGAN, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF STUDENTS, BAKER UNIV.
PANELISTS: MRS. DOROTHY HALL, BAKER UNIV.
REV. LEO BARBEE, "A HISTORICAL AND COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE"
REV. EDGERTON TAYLOR, "RELIGION AND POLITICS"
Tuesday, February 12    Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union
Sponsored by the Office of Minority Affairs
NEWLYWED GAME
Thursday, February 14
Kansas State, Kansas Union
8:00 p.m.
Union
★★★★★
AFRICA NIGHT
Saturday, February 16
Laval University
Sponsored by the African Student Association
8:00 p.m.
★★★★
"EBONY PROGRESSIONS"
VARIOUS ASPECTS OF BLACK LIFE THROUGH DRAMA, DANCE AND MUSIC
Sunday, February 17
Hoch Audiburton
Sponsored by African Studies and the Office of Minority Affairs
★★★★★
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BLACK MEN AND WOMEN
LECTURER: DR. JOHN C. GESTON, WICHTA STATE UNIVERSITY
Monday, February 18
4019 Wescoe
Sponsored by African Studies
6:30 p.m.
FILM: GREEN PASTURES
FILM: **GREEN PASTURES**
FIRST IN SERIES OF THREE FILM CLASSICS PROGRAM, "BLACKS AND THE MOVIES"
DISCUSSION: EDWARD EDDY, DEAN OF STUDENTS, ROCKHURST COLLEGE
Sunday, February 24 7:00 p.m.
Sponsored by the Black Student Union
★★★★★
FILM: EMPEROR JONES
FILM: EMPEROR JONES
SECOND IN SERIES OF THREE FILM CLASSICS PROGRAM, 'BLACKS AND THE MOVIES'
DISCUSSION, EDWARD ROCKHURST OF STUDENTS, ROCKHURST COLLEGE
Monday, February 28
Jayne Ryder, The Black Student Union
Sponsored by the Black Student Union
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FILM: *STORMY WEATHER*
THIRD IN SERIES OF THREE FILM CLASSICS PROGRAM, "BLACKS AND THE MOVIES"
DISCUSSION: EDWARD EDDY, DEAN OF STUDENTS, ROCKHURST COLLEGE
Tuesday, February 26   Jayhawk Room, Kansas Union    7:00 p.m.
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This ad paid for by Black Student Union, funded in part from Student Activity Fees.
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