Moon and Winter Circle on February 9 to 13

The waxing moon will move through the large asterism known as the Winter Circle from February 9 to 11, 2022. It’ll still be moving through the Circle on February 12 and 13. See the chart below. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

Moon and Winter Circle

On February 9 to 12, 2022, the waxing moon is moving inside a large circular (some say hexagonal) star pattern, known as the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon). It’s not one of the 88 official constellations. It’s just a large, noticeable pattern of stars, an asterism. It consists of seven bright stars in six separate constellations. The ecliptic – path of the sun, moon and planets, marked in green on our chart – cuts through the Winter Circle. So, during the months the Circle is visible, the moon spends a few days each month sweeping through these stars. The Winter Circle stars are:

Capella – brightest star in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer
Pollux – brightest star in the constellation Gemini the Twins
Castor – second-brightest star in the constellation Gemini the Twins
Procyon – brightest star in the the constellation Canis Minor the Lesser Dog
Sirius – brightest star in the constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog
Rigel – brightest star in the constellation Orion the Hunter
Aldebaran – brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull

With the exception of the star Castor in Gemini, the Winter Circle stars are what we call 1st-magnitude. That is, they’re the brightest stars in our sky. Technically speaking, Castor is slightly fainter at 2nd magnitude, though it’s the brightest of all the 2nd-magnitude stars in the sky.

Near the center of the Circle, you’ll find Orion’s bright red star Betelgeuse, which, in late 2019, began an unexpected dimming, causing some to suggest that it might be about to go supernova (explode). It didn’t explode, although its curious dimming continued into early 2020. The star then returned nearly to its original brightness, only to dim again in mid-2020. Now Betelgeuse is as bright as it ever was. Its strange dimming is thought to have been caused by a cloud of hot gas, released by the star, that temporarily blocked some of Betelgeuse’s light.

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The waxing moon will still be moving through the large asterism known as the Winter Circle on February 11 to 13, 2022. Compare this chart with the one above. That eastward motion of the moon across our sky is due to the moon’s eastward motion in orbit around Earth. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

The Winter Circle (or Hexagon) contains another pattern known as the Winter Triangle. Image via SouledOut.org.

A huge circle of bright stars

On February evenings, in the Northern Hemisphere, we see the Winter Circle fill up much of our southern sky during the evening hours. As viewed from the Southern Hemisphere – where it’s autumn now – the moon will also be in the midst of these same stars we view as the Winter Circle, but, as seen from temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, this lasso of stars appears upside-down relative to our northern view. That is, southern sky watchers will see the star Sirius at top and the star Capella at bottom.

No chart can adequately convey the Winter Circle’s humongous size! It dwarfs the constellation Orion the Hunter, which is a rather large constellation occupying the southwestern part of the Winter Circle pattern.

The Winter Circle, or Hexagon, is marked in blue. The Winter Triangle is marked in red. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Bottom line: On February 9 to 12, 2022, the moon resides inside the Winter Circle, a large asterism made of seven brilliant stars.

Here are constellation charts via the International Astronomical Union (IAU)

Read more: Winter Circle, or Hexagon, made of bright stars

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The post Moon and Winter Circle on February 9 to 13 first appeared on EarthSky.

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The waxing moon will move through the large asterism known as the Winter Circle from February 9 to 11, 2022. It’ll still be moving through the Circle on February 12 and 13. See the chart below. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

Moon and Winter Circle

On February 9 to 12, 2022, the waxing moon is moving inside a large circular (some say hexagonal) star pattern, known as the Winter Circle (or Winter Hexagon). It’s not one of the 88 official constellations. It’s just a large, noticeable pattern of stars, an asterism. It consists of seven bright stars in six separate constellations. The ecliptic – path of the sun, moon and planets, marked in green on our chart – cuts through the Winter Circle. So, during the months the Circle is visible, the moon spends a few days each month sweeping through these stars. The Winter Circle stars are:

Capella – brightest star in the constellation Auriga the Charioteer
Pollux – brightest star in the constellation Gemini the Twins
Castor – second-brightest star in the constellation Gemini the Twins
Procyon – brightest star in the the constellation Canis Minor the Lesser Dog
Sirius – brightest star in the constellation Canis Major the Greater Dog
Rigel – brightest star in the constellation Orion the Hunter
Aldebaran – brightest star in the constellation Taurus the Bull

With the exception of the star Castor in Gemini, the Winter Circle stars are what we call 1st-magnitude. That is, they’re the brightest stars in our sky. Technically speaking, Castor is slightly fainter at 2nd magnitude, though it’s the brightest of all the 2nd-magnitude stars in the sky.

Near the center of the Circle, you’ll find Orion’s bright red star Betelgeuse, which, in late 2019, began an unexpected dimming, causing some to suggest that it might be about to go supernova (explode). It didn’t explode, although its curious dimming continued into early 2020. The star then returned nearly to its original brightness, only to dim again in mid-2020. Now Betelgeuse is as bright as it ever was. Its strange dimming is thought to have been caused by a cloud of hot gas, released by the star, that temporarily blocked some of Betelgeuse’s light.

EarthSky 2022 lunar calendars now available! Order now. Going fast!

The waxing moon will still be moving through the large asterism known as the Winter Circle on February 11 to 13, 2022. Compare this chart with the one above. That eastward motion of the moon across our sky is due to the moon’s eastward motion in orbit around Earth. Chart via John Jardine Goss.

The Winter Circle (or Hexagon) contains another pattern known as the Winter Triangle. Image via SouledOut.org.

A huge circle of bright stars

On February evenings, in the Northern Hemisphere, we see the Winter Circle fill up much of our southern sky during the evening hours. As viewed from the Southern Hemisphere – where it’s autumn now – the moon will also be in the midst of these same stars we view as the Winter Circle, but, as seen from temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, this lasso of stars appears upside-down relative to our northern view. That is, southern sky watchers will see the star Sirius at top and the star Capella at bottom.

No chart can adequately convey the Winter Circle’s humongous size! It dwarfs the constellation Orion the Hunter, which is a rather large constellation occupying the southwestern part of the Winter Circle pattern.

The Winter Circle, or Hexagon, is marked in blue. The Winter Triangle is marked in red. Image via Wikimedia Commons.

Bottom line: On February 9 to 12, 2022, the moon resides inside the Winter Circle, a large asterism made of seven brilliant stars.

Here are constellation charts via the International Astronomical Union (IAU)

Read more: Winter Circle, or Hexagon, made of bright stars

EarthSky astronomy kits are perfect for beginners. Order today from the EarthSky store

Donate: Your support means the world to us

The post Moon and Winter Circle on February 9 to 13 first appeared on EarthSky.

from EarthSky https://ift.tt/TNUrV15