Looking for a sky event this week? Check out our full Sky This Week column.
February 12: Asteroid Nysa approaches a star
This dark, moonless Friday the 13th evening is the perfect time to head out after dark and try to catch a glimpse of the zodiacal light. This ethereal, cone-shaped glow is actually the reflected light from tiny particles of dust orbiting the Sun, left over from myriad comets as they swing around our star and shed material along the way.
The zodiacal light generally shines about as bright as the Milky Way, so can be a challenge from areas with light pollution. Your best bet is to get to a location where the western horizon is clear of artificial light. The first step is to determine where the zodiacal light will be — it shines along the ecliptic, the plane of our solar system and the invisible line on the sky where the Sun, Moon, and planets fall. An hour after sunset, Mercury is still roughly 3.5° high in the west, shining brightly at magnitude –0.9 in Aquarius. Find this bright spot, then look up and slightly left — the next-brightest point of light is 1st-magnitude Saturn, shining in southwestern Pisces. These two planets will show you the line of the ecliptic, and this is where you should look for the zodiacal light.
To catch a glimpse of its glow, wait for full darkness to fall, then slowly scan your eyes left and right along the western horizon, near the ecliptic. Even once Mercury has set, you can use Saturn to guide you. The zodiacal light will appear to shoot upward from the horizon, wider at the base and tapering to a point as it passes through Aquarius, Pisces, and Aries.
Sunrise: 6:55 A.M.
Sunset: 5:34 P.M.
Moonrise: 4:46 A.M.
Moonset: 1:36 P.M.
Moon Phase: Waning crescent (11%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 10 P.M. local time from the same location.
