Monday 31st January to Sunday 6th February 2022
Tuesday 1st February is a New Moon, so you could go outside the following evening and try to spot what will be a thin 3%-lit crescent. At the same time, planet Jupiter will be just above it. Look towards the south west around 5.30pm and you will be able to catch them just before they set below the horizon.
The Moon and larger planets appear bright because they are reflecting light from our Sun and in astronomical terms, the distances involved are very small. Stars are always fainter because they are generating their own light and it is having to travel a long way to reach us. You can easily see Jupiter and the Moon, but as it won't be properly dark at that time, you won't see anything else!
As the Moon orbits around us, it has a slight rocking motion; or if you like, it wobbles a bit. The technical term for this is "libration". It means that sometimes you can see a little further around the sides of the Moon that are normally facing away from us.
On Sunday 6th, there is an opportunity to observe what are known as the "libration Seas" on the eastern edge of the lunar surface - Mare Smythii and Mare Marginis. Just after dark, the Moon will be located towards the south and it will still be appearing as a crescent shape as we had the New Moon only a few days before. The easiest way to spot them is to first locate the Mare Crisium that is slightly further around the nearside.
While you are looking at the Moon that evening, the Pleiades open cluster of stars will be above it and slightly to the left, with the constellation of Orion further left.
Screenshots courtesy of Stellarium
Copyright Adrian Dening and Radio Ninesprings 2022
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