2024, February 9: Bright Planets in Transition, Lunar New Year

February 9: See the bright planets in Transition.  Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter are visible during the night.

Lunar New Year
Chart Caption – AI generated interpretation of the Lunar New Year – Year of the Dragon. (pixlr.com)

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by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:55 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:16 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:

Lunar New Year

Venus, Mercury, Mars, and Saturn are in positions in the sky where they are transitioning from either the morning sky to and evening view or going the other direction.

Today, the New moon phase occurs at 4:59 p.m. CST.  This begins lunation number 1251, the number of lunar cycles since the count began in 1923.

This New moon is the second one since the winter solstice, signaling the Lunar New Year.  The moon has been a reliable timepiece for many cultures.  The earliest Egyptian calendar was a combination of seasons, moon phases, and appearances of stars.  Jewish and Muslim religious calendars are founded on the moon.  Traditional Asian cultures use the moon and its relationship to the solstice to signal the Lunar New Year.  The dates vary from January 21st to February 20th.

The Lunar New Year typically begins at the second New moon phase following the winter solstice. In the Americas, this month’s New moon phase occurs today at 4:59 p.m. CST.  In Asia, specifically in Beijing, China, the time of this event is February 10th, 6:59 a.m. China Standard Time. Calendars show the 10th as the beginning of the New Year. 

Frequently in North America, Chinese symbolism and names are used in the popular culture, perhaps from the large populations of Chinese immigrants and their descendants.  Each year is named by one of the characters in the Chinese Zodiac.  The next animal in the circle is the dragon.  So, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon.

Countries across the region have various traditions and names for their new year.  Commonly, the day is known as the Lunar New Year or the Chinese New Year.  How ever you celebrate, Happy New Year!

Morning Sky

Venus in Transition

Bright Planets in Transition - 2024, February 9: Venus is low in the southeast before sunrise.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 9: Venus is low in the southeast before sunrise.

Brilliant Venus is low in the southeastern sky before sunrise.  If you’ve not looked for it recently, the planet might be hidden by a nearby obstruction.  At forty-five minutes before daybreak, the Morning Star is less than 10° above the horizon.  It is moving toward its superior conjunction and a stint in the evening sky later this year.  The planet reaches superior conjunction June 4th and reappears in the evening sky during early summer.

Currently Venus rises ninety minutes before daybreak, shortly after the beginning of morning twilight.  By the 27th, it rises at Nautical Twilight, a term for when the sky can be distinguished from the horizon.  As the name implies, this is best noted on a body of water where there is a clear demarcation of Earth and sky.  By April 3rd, Venus rises at Civil Twilight.  This is typically when street lights are set to turn on or off.  The sky is reasonably bright at this time.

Mars into Morning Sky

2007, December 1: Late winter in the northern hemisphere shows clouds above the northern polar cap and some above the southern cap.
Photo Caption – 2007, December 1: Late winter in the northern hemisphere shows clouds above the northern polar cap and some above the southern cap. (NASA Photo)

In contrast, Mars is slowly moving into dimmer morning twilight.  The planet passed behind the sun during November and began a slow climb into the eastern morning sky.  The planet moves eastward against the starry background at about half Venus’ eastward rate.  Further, it revolves around the sun about every two Earth years.  As such, Earth takes a considerable time to overtake and pass between the Red Planet and the sun, placing the planet high in the sky during the night. Mars’ westward appearance in the sky is considerably slower than the annual westward march of the constellations.

In its slow climb into the morning sky, Mars rose at Nautical Twilight four mornings ago.  At its slow pace, it rises at the beginning of morning twilight on May 28th.  When the moon passes Mars during the next three months, the events occur during brighter twilight.  The first time Mars appears with the moon in a darker sky is June 2nd.

Venus Approaches Mars

Bright Planets in Transition - 2024, February 9: Through a binocular find Venus and Mars at 30 minutes before sunrise.
Chart Caption – 2024, February 9: Through a binocular find Venus and Mars at 30 minutes before sunrise.

Venus approaches Mars this morning.  At thirty minutes before sunrise, the planetary pair fits into the same binocular field of view.  Place Venus to the upper right portion of the field.  Dimmer Mars appears to the lower left.  The gap between them is 6.1°.

Mercury

Mercury is moving from the morning sky to the evening sky.  This morning it rises twenty-eight minutes before the sun.  The planet passes behind the sun, placing the central star between Earth and Mercury on February 28th.  The planet moves into the evening sky for its best appearance there this year. 

On March 24th, Mercury sets at the end of evening twilight.  At forty-five minutes after sundown, it stands nearly 10° up in the west and over 20° to the lower right of Jupiter.

Evening Sky

Saturn Heads for Evening Twilight

Bright Planets in Transition - 2024, February 9: Saturn is low in the west-southwest after sundown.
2024, February 9: Saturn is low in the west-southwest after sundown.

Saturn is transitioning toward the morning sky, setting four minutes earlier each evening compared to sunset.  At forty-five minutes after sundown, the Ringed Wonder is over 5° above the west-southwest horizon.  It is too low for telescopic observations. 

When looking toward a planet near the horizon, we see it through a thicker layer of air that has dust and other particulates.  This dims and blurs celestial objects.  This is best seen when the sun and moon look orange when they rise or set, and sometimes appear flattened.

This evening, Saturn sets eighty-one minutes after sunset, before the end of evening twilight.  In four nights, it sets at Nautical Twilight and at Civil Twilight on the 21st.  A week later, it is at conjunction with the sun, coincidentally on the same date of Mercury’s superior conjunction. 

By April 4th, it rises at Nautical Twilight.  Nearly a week later, Mars passes by in a closer conjunction.

2024, February 9: After nightfall, Jupiter is night in the southwest. It passes Hamal in a wide conjunction.
Chart Caption -2024, February 9: After nightfall, Jupiter is night in the southwest. It passes Hamal in a wide conjunction.

Bright Jupiter, dominates the evening sky until late May.  This evening it is high in the southwest after nightfall.  The planet is moving eastward in front of Aries.  This evening, it passes Hamal in a wide conjunction, with a gap of 11.0°.

Watch Jupiter move eastward compared to an imaginary line from Hamal to Menkar, part of Cetus, 13.1° to the planet’s lower left. 

Jupiter
Photo Caption – Jupiter (NASA Photo)

Through a telescope at 7:24 p.m. CST, Jupiter’s Great Red Spot is visible at the planet’s center in the southern hemisphere.

Jupiter revolves around the sun nearly every twelve years.  The Jovian Giant passes Hamal again June 4, 2035.

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