2024, February 3: Spot Planet Uranus in February Evening Sky

February 3, 2024: Spot planet Uranus in February Evening sky between bright Jupiter and the Pleaides star cluster.

Uranus, Mars, February 8, 2019
2019, February 8: Mars is nearly 3 degrees to the lower right of Uranus this evening

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:01 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:08 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Summaries of Current Sky Events
Summary for Venus as a Morning Star, 2023-24

Here is today’s planet forecast:

Morning Sky

Morning Moon nears Scorpion

2024, February 3: The moon is near Zubenelgenubi and Dschubba before sunrise.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 3: The moon is near Zubenelgenubi and Dschubba before sunrise.

An hour before daybreak, the thick crescent moon is less than one-third of the way from the southern horizon to overhead.  The lunar orb is in front of Libra, 6.4° to the lower left of Zubenelgenubi, the Scorpion’s southern claw.  Look for Dschubba, the arachnid’s forehead, 12.5° to the moon’s lower left.

In two mornings from Indonesia and southeastern regions of Asia, the lunar orb occults or eclipses rosy Antares.

Venus, Sagittarius

2024, February 3: Forty-five minutes before sunrise, brilliant Venus is low in the southeast.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 3: Forty-five minutes before sunrise, brilliant Venus is low in the southeast.

This morning at forty-five minutes before sunrise, Venus is less than 10° above the southeast horizon.  It steps eastward in front of Sagittarius, near Nunki and Kaus Borealis.  Use a binocular to see the background stars.

Mars, Mercury

Mars continues to slowly emerge from bright sunlight.  The planet is not easily visible until it is at least 5° above the horizon at forty-five minutes before sunrise.  This morning it is less than 3° up.  On the 22nd, it is visible with Venus through a binocular.  The Red Planet rises sixty-two minutes before the sun.

After its recent morning appearance, speedy Mercury moves toward a solar conjunction on the far side of the sun, known as superior conjunction.  When it moves between Earth and Sun, that solar conjunction is known as inferior conjunction.  After the superior event, Mercury moves into the evening sky for its best appearance of the year.

Like Mars, Mercury is immersed in bright sunlight, rising twenty minutes after the other inner planet.

Evening Sky

Saturn

2024, February 3: Saturn is low in the west-southwest after sundown.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 3: Saturn is low in the west-southwest after sundown.

Two bright planets and two dim worlds are visible after sundown.  Begin with Saturn.  The Ringed Wonder is beginning to slip into brighter twilight, leading up to its solar conjunction at month’s end.  One hour after sundown, the planet is less than 10° above the west-southwest horizon.  It sets less than fifty minutes later.

Neptune

Neptune is to Saturn’s upper left, in front of a dim Pisces starfield.  On February 11th, the crescent moon appears in the same binocular field of view with the solar system’s most distant world.

For adventurous sky watchers wanting a challenge, use the directions in this earlier article to find Neptune without the help of a bright celestial guide.

Jupiter

Spot Planet Uranus in February Evening Sky - 2024, February 3: Uranus is between Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster and hour after sunset.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 3: Uranus is between Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster and hour after sunset.

This evening bright Jupiter is high in the south-southwest as darkness falls.  The planet is slowly moving eastward in front of Aries.  The Jovian Giant is slowly approaching an imaginary line from the Ram’s Hamal to Cetus’ Menkar.

Spot Planet Uranus in February Evening Sky

Spot Planet Uranus in February Evening Sky - 2024, February 3: Locate Uranus between Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster, using overlapping binocular fields of view.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 3: Locate Uranus between Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster, using overlapping binocular fields of view.

Uranus is between Jupiter and the Pleiades star cluster.  With a binocular, the planet is relatively easy to locate, even from the outdoor lighting in suburban locations. One way is to initially aim the binocular to explore the Pleiades star cluster, and take a side trip to the “V” shape of Taurus with topaz Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster.

To locate Uranus, place the Pleiades toward the upper left of the field of view.  The stars Tau (τ Ari on the chart) and 63 in Aries appear toward the right edge of the binocular field.  Then move the binocular to the lower right so that Tau and 63 are toward the upper left of the view.  Zeta (ζ Ari) and Delta (δ Ari) in Aries become visible.  Then follow an imaginary jagged line from Delta to 54 then to 53 in Aries.  Aquamarine Uranus is toward the four o’clock position in the field, but not at the edge.  Notice that Delta and 54 are topaz in color, similar to Aldebaran’s hue.  Star 53 is blue-white.

The accompanying star chart is plotted for tonight, but it is worthwhile to use during the next several nights.  Uranus does not move far from night to night.  The thick crescent moon appears in the same binocular field with Uranus on the 15th.

Tonight, Jupiter sets in the west-northwest after midnight and the beginning of a new calendar day.

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