The first morning star in the sky. Venus is now the evening star

Several years ago, being in a completely bad mood, in the waiting room of some airport, I purchased Friedrich Nietzsche’s book “The Dawn, or the Book of Moral Prejudices.” And from then on, I really wanted to thank him. For hope. For believing that there are still many morning dawns that have not yet dawned.

Let me make a reservation right away that a lot of the material presented here was taken from other authors from other sites, for which appropriate links have been made. This is more of a research paper on a topic you like.

morning Star

The morning star, the planet Venus, which is the first of the stars to appear in the sky in the evening, and the last to disappear in the morning. The king of Babylon is poetically compared to the Morning Star (Isaiah 14:12: Hebrew Geylel ben-shachar - “radiance”, “son of the dawn”, in the Synod. Transl. - “star of the morning, son of the dawn”). She also serves as a type of Jesus Christ (Rev 22:16; cf. 2 Pet 1:19; Rev 2:28). In Job 38:7 the expression “morning stars” is used in its literal meaning (Source: Brockhaus Biblical Encyclopedia).

VENUS (Latin venia - mercy of the gods) is a symbol of love and beauty. Originally in Roman mythology, the goddess of spring and gardens. Subsequently, with the spread of legends about Aeneas as the ancestor of the Romans, she began to be identified with the Greek goddess of love and beauty, the mother of the Trojan Aphrodite. She was then identified with Isis and Astarte. The Sicilian temple on Mount Eric (Venus Ericinia) played a decisive role in the spread of the cult of Venus. The patronage of the goddess was enjoyed by Sulla, who believed that she brings happiness (hence the nickname Felitsa); Pompeii, who revered her as the Victorious; Caesar, who considered her the ancestor of the Julian family. The constant epithets of Venus in Rome were “merciful”, “purifying”, “equestrian”, “bald”. The last nickname was given to her in memory of the Roman women who gave their hair to make ropes during the war with the Gauls.

The astrological mysticism of Venus was determined by the special proportion of its rotation, opposite to the movement of all other planets in the solar system. One got the impression that Venus is a “planet in reverse.” Therefore, she was often called Lucifer and endowed with demonic traits and was seen as a counterweight to the Sun. Sometimes “Venus” meant the “star Wormwood” mentioned in the Apocalypse.

Venus is a symbol of external, carnal beauty. Therefore, she was called “Morning Star” or “Day Day”. Venus is symmetrical with respect to the Sun to its symbolic male partner Mars. The astrological sign of Venus stood for woman and everything related to the feminist principle. But this woman is not a mother, but a lover. She personifies erotic sensuality. It is no coincidence that sexual diseases received the general name “venereal”.

According to the esoteric legend of a number of Indo-European tribes, the “white race” originates from Venus. The “Children of Venus” - the Luciferites - were opposed to the rest of humanity. Among the Germans, she symbolized Freya. For American Indians, the planet was a symbol of Quetzalcoatl. The “feathered serpent” itself was considered the spirit of Venus.

In Akkadian mythology, Venus is a masculine planet. Among the Sumerians, she was the cosmic personification of Ishtar: the morning one as the goddess of fertility, the evening one as the god of war.

An interesting point, Lucifer (son of Aurora and the Titan Astria) - as an epithet of the planet Venus, is mentioned in the Aeneid:

At that time Lucifer ascended over the peaks of Ida,
Taking the day out.

Lucifer's Star

The word Lucifer is made up of the Latin roots lux "light" and fero "to carry." The first mention of Lucifer is found in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, written in Hebrew. Here the dynasty of Babylonian kings is compared to a fallen angel, thanks to which the reader learns the story of how one of the cherubim desired to become equal to God and was cast out of heaven for this. The original uses the Hebrew word “heilel” (morning star, morning star):

Is. 14:12-17 How you have fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the dawn! He crashed to the ground, trampling the nations. And he said in his heart: “I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mountain in the assembly of gods, on the edge of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.” But you are cast into hell, into the depths of the underworld. Those who see you peer into you and think about you: “Is this the man who shook the earth, shook kingdoms, made the universe a desert and destroyed its cities, and did not let his captives go home?

There is a similar place in another Old Testament book, the prophet Ezekiel. It also compares the fall of the city of Tire to the fall of an angel, although he is not called the “morning star”:

Ezek. 28:14-18 You were an anointed cherub to overshadow, and I appointed you to do so; you were on the holy mountain of God, walking among the fiery stones.
You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you. Your inner being was filled with unrighteousness, and you sinned; and I cast you down as unclean from the mountain of God, and drove you, the overshadowing cherub, out of the midst of the fiery stones. Because of your beauty your heart was lifted up, because of your vanity you destroyed your wisdom; Therefore I will throw you to the ground, I will hand you over to shame before kings. With the multitude of your iniquities you have defiled your sanctuaries; and I will bring fire from among you, which will consume you: and I will turn you into ashes on the earth in the sight of all who see you.

It should be borne in mind that in the New Testament Jesus Christ was compared to the morning or dawn star (Numbers 24:17; Psalm 88:35-38, 2 Peter 1:19, Rev. 22:16, 2 Peter 1:19) .

Open 22:16 I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright and morning star.
2 Peter 1:19 And moreover we have the most sure word of prophecy; and you do well to turn to him as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts

Jerome of Stridon, when translating the indicated passage from the Book of Isaiah, used in the Vulgate the Latin word lucifer (“luminous,” “light-bringing”), which was used to designate the “morning star.” And the idea that, like the king of Babylon, cast down from the heights of earthly glory, Satan was once cast down from the heights of heavenly glory (Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:9), led to the fact that the name Lucifer was transferred to Satan. This identification was also reinforced by the Apostle Paul's remark about Satan, who “disguises himself as an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14).

However, Jerome himself did not use the word “luminous” as a proper name, but only as a metaphor. The creator of the Vulgate used this word in other passages of Scripture, even in the plural. However, it was Jerome's translation, which enjoyed enormous authority in the Christian world, that ultimately served as the basis for giving the Latin equivalent of the Hebrew "heilel" the meaning of Satan's personal name. In the King James Bible, the phrase took on a different meaning: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” Written with a capital letter, the appeal was no longer perceived as a metaphor. These words could no longer be perceived as a song about victory over the king of Babylon; it was a direct appeal to Satan.

Source. Wikipedia

E.P. Blavatsky once wrote the following. “Lucifer” is a pale morning star, a harbinger of the dazzling radiance of the midday sun - “Eosphos” of the Greeks. It shines timidly at sunset in order to accumulate strength and dazzle the eyes after sunset, like its own brother “Hesperus” - the shining evening star, or the planet Venus. There is no more suitable symbol for the proposed work - to shed a ray of truth on everything that is hidden in the darkness of prejudice, social or religious errors, and especially thanks to that idiotic routine way of life, which, as soon as some act, some thing or name, was disgraced by a slanderous fabrication, however unjust it may be, makes so-called respectable people turn away from it with a shudder and refuse even to simply look at it from any other side than that which is sanctioned by public opinion. Therefore, such an attempt to force cowardly people to face the truth is very effectively helped by a name belonging to the category of cursed names.

Devout readers may object that the word "Lucifer" is accepted by all churches as one of the many names of the devil. According to Milton's majestic fantasy, Lucifer is Satan, the “rebellious” angel, the enemy of God and man. But if one analyzes his rebellion, one cannot find in it anything more evil than the demand for free will and independent thought, as if Lucifer had been born in the 19th century. This epithet, “rebellious,” is a theological slander, similar to the slanderous fabrications of fatalists about God, who make of the deity the “Almighty” - the devil, even more evil than the “rebellious” spirit itself; “an all-powerful Devil who wants to be hailed as all-merciful when he displays the most diabolical cruelty,” as J. Cotter Morison says. Both the foreseeing God-devil and his subordinate servant are human inventions; these are two of the most morally disgusting and terrible theological dogmas that could ever emerge from the nightmares of the disgusting fantasies of daylight-hating monks.

They go back to the Middle Ages, that period of mental obscurity during which most of the modern prejudices and superstitions were forcibly introduced into the minds of people, so that they became practically ineradicable in some cases, one of which is the modern prejudice now under discussion.

Source. E.P. Blavatsky. What's in a name. About why the magazine is called “Lucifer”.

I cannot help but mention here the wonderful work of E.P. Blavatsky's "The History of a Planet", which touches on the same topic. I don’t want to create a clutter, so anyone interested can read this material on their own.

Earendil

I learned about the existence of this character and everything interesting that is connected with him at a lecture by Leonid Korablev. And this knowledge inspired me no less than the book I once bought at the airport.

What is Erendil? This is hope without any reason.

Planet Venus. The Star of Eärendil was the brightest celestial body after the Sun and Moon. The light of the star came from the Silmaril, which was held by Eärendil the Mariner, who sailed across the sky on his ship Vingiloth. Eärendil was best seen at sunrise and sunset, as the Morning and Evening Star. The Star of Eärendil was a source of hope for the people of Middle-earth.

Eärendil the Mariner sailed to the Undying Lands in 542 of the First Age to seek the Valar's aid in the war against Morgoth. He was the Valar agreed, but Arendil was forbidden to return to Middle-earth. He was doomed to sail through the sky forever on his ship Vingilote (made of mithril and glass) with the Silmaril on his forehead.

When the Star of Earnedil first crossed the sky, Maedhros and Maglor realized that the light came from one of the Silmarils made by their father Fëanor. The people of Middle-earth named her Gil-Estelle, the Star of Highest Hope, and found hope again. Morgoth began to doubt, but still did not think that the Valar would start a war against him. The host of the Valar came to Middle-earth in 545 and thus began the War of Wrath. In 589, Eärendil abandoned his heavenly path and led Vingilot into battle, where he defeated Ancalagon the Black. The Valar drove Morgoth beyond the Doors of Night into the Timeless Void, and Eärendil returned to his course to guard the skies against Morgoth's return. Eärendil's wife Elwing was not with him. She lived in a tower on the shores of the Undying Lands. The birds brought her a pair of wings and taught her to fly, and from time to time she rose into the sky to meet Eärendil when he returned from his heavenly journey.

In the year 32 of the Second Age, the Star of Earendil shone especially brightly in the west as a sign that Númenor was ready for the arrival of the Men who fought Morgoth. The people sailed to their new home, led by the light of the Star, which was visible during the day as well as at night throughout their journey. The leader of the Numenoreans was Elros, son of Earnedil and brother of Elrond.

During the War of the Ring at the end of the Third Age, Galadriel gave Frodo Baggins a Vial filled with water from her Mirror of Galadriel, which contained the light of the Star of Eärendil. Sam Gamgee used the Vial when he fought Shelob, and the Great Spider fled in agony from the shining light. In Mordor on the night of March 15, 3019, Sam saw the Star of Eärendil in the western sky through a gap in the clouds.

Her beauty struck him straight to the heart. He looked at her from the center of the abandoned lands, but hope returned to him. And like a spear, a clear and cold thought penetrated his mind - Sam realized that, after all, the Shadow was just a small and fleeting thing. After all, there was a bright and high beauty that was beyond her reach.

The Return of the King: "The Land of Shadow," p. 199. (Source WLOTR Encyclopedia).

The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a lamp, and fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of this star is “wormwood”; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many of the people died from the waters, because they became bitter (Rev. 8:10-11). From the text it is clear that this event is necessary
attributed not to the present, but to the future eschatological time.

Archbishop Averky (Taushev) explains this passage as follows: “Some people think that this meteor will fall to the ground and poison the water sources on earth, which will become poisonous. Or maybe this is also one of the newly invented methods of a future terrible war” (Apocalypse or revelations of St. John the Theologian. History of writing, rules for interpretation and analysis of the text).

Wormwood (Heb. laana; Greek apsinthos) in the Bible is a symbol of the punishments of the Lord: And the Lord said: Because they forsook My law, which I decreed for them, and did not listen to My voice and did not walk in it; but they walked according to the stubbornness of their hearts and after the Baals, as their fathers taught them. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them this people with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink (Jer. 9:13-15)

THE BRIGHTEST STARS VISIBLE FROM EARTH

Many people, looking at the sky after sunset, wonder what kind of bright white star appears near the Moon, so I am inclined to think that it is VENUS. It is also visible in the morning at 6 o'clock when I rush to work. But I still collected material for comparison.

Sirius, as we see on Wikpedia, visible BEFORE sunset Knowing the exact coordinates of Sirius in the sky, it can be seen during the day with the naked eye. For best viewing, the sky should be very clear and the Sun should be low above horizon.

Jupiter can reach an apparent magnitude of −2.8, making it the third brightest object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus. However, Jupiter is also called the Great Red Spot. However, at certain moments

Marsmay briefly exceed the brightness of Jupiter. Mars is called the "Red Planet" because of the reddish hue of its surface given by iron oxide. This means that she is not white at all, which is what needed to be proven.

And here Venus, even in the photos of astronomers, it is THERE, UNDER THE MOON, where I and other amateurs see it...

Syria

- (Alpha Canis Major) is located at a distance of 8.64 light years from us and is the brightest star visible in the night sky. A light year is the distance that light travels in one year, it is about 9.5 trillion km. The distance from Earth to Syria is approximately 80 trillion km. Macca Syria is 2.14 times the mass of the Sun, and its brightness is 24 times. It is also almost 2 times hotter: the temperature on its surface is about 100,000 C. Sirius is the star of the Southhemispheres of the sky .In mid latitudesRussia Sirius is observed in the southern part of the sky in autumn (early morning), winter (from sunrise to sunset) and spring (visible some time after sunset).Sirius is the sixth brightest object in the earth's sky. Only brighter than himSun , Moon , as well as planetsVenus , Jupiter AndMars during the period of best visibility (see also:List of the brightest stars ). For some time, Sirius was considered one of the stars of the so-calledmoving group of Ursa Major . This group includes 220 stars, which are united by the same age and similar movement in space. Initially the group wasopen star cluster , however, at present the cluster as such does not exist - it has disintegrated and become gravitationally unbound. So, most of the stars of the asterism belong to this clusterBig Dipper in Ursa Major. However, scientists subsequently came to the conclusion that this is not so - Sirius is much younger than this cluster and cannot be its representative.

Venus

- second internalplanet solar system with an orbital period of 224.7 Earth days. The planet got its name in honorVenus , goddesses love fromroman pantheon deities.

Venus -brightest object in the night sky except Moon , and reachesapparent magnitude at -4.6. Since Venus is closer to the Sun than Earth , it never seems too far from the Sun: the maximum angle between it and the Sun is 47.8°. Venus reaches its maximum brightness shortly before sunrise or some time after sunset, which gave rise to the name Evening Star or

The best time to observe Venus is shortly before sunrise (some time after sunrise in morning visibility).

We decided to create this section based on your questions sent to us by email, as well as the search queries of visitors.

General questions about finding stars and constellations

Question: How to find the North Star in the starry sky?

Answer: We all know the Ursa Major bucket, which is the “calling card” of the northern starry sky, since due to its proximity to the north pole of the world throughout the entire territory of the former USSR, it is the most memorable group of fairly bright stars, visible at any time of day and year. . Of course, the position of the Big Dipper's bucket above the horizon varies depending on the time of year and time of day. But, in any case, it is very easy to find, except that on spring evenings it rises to the zenith and is visible above your head, which may not seem like a very convenient position for observation to some.

Considering the recognition of the Ursa Major bucket, you should begin your acquaintance with the starry sky with it. And the first step will be to find the North Star. Firstly, this has a practical meaning, because... The North Star points to the north, which will help you quickly navigate the cardinal directions. Secondly, we receive directions to search for other circumpolar constellations, thereby expanding our knowledge of the starry sky. So, looking at the picture on the left, let’s draw a mental line through the two outermost stars of the Ursa Major bucket, designated by the Greek letters α and β. Like the other stars of the bucket, they have their own names: Dubge and Merak. The first star on your path similar in brightness to the stars of the Ursa Major bucket will be Polaris. Print (or redraw) the drawing and, depending on the position of the Big Dipper bucket in the sky, rotate it so that you know which way to draw a mental straight line to find the North Star.

More detailed information on searching for constellations can be found in the section.

February 2012

Question: Two bright stars in the sky. The brightest star in the sky in February.

Panorama: Venus (in the center), Jupiter (to the left and above) and the constellation Orion (on the left side of the image) on the evening of February 18, 2012.

Answer: Most likely, our readers have in mind two bright luminaries, visible in the evenings in the southwestern part of the sky and similar to two bright stars. Moreover, one of them is so bright that its brightness is many times greater than all the stars visible in the sky. But these are not very bright stars at all, but planets. Moreover, the brightest of them is Venus, the second planet from the Sun in the solar system. In the earth's sky it is so bright that in terms of its brightness it reliably ranks third after the Sun and Moon among the brightest luminaries. It can even be found with the naked eye in the daytime sky! Remarkably, even in the sky of Mars, Venus appears brighter than neighboring Earth! The reason Venus is so bright is the high reflectivity (albedo) of the planet's dense cloud cover. When observing Venus through a small telescope, its phases are noticeable, similar to the phases of the Moon. Phases less than 30 - 40%, when the planet is visible in a telescope in the form of a crescent, are also noticeable in 7x binoculars. Venus will take on a crescent appearance in the second half of April this year, so if you have binoculars at hand, be sure to observe the planet in the second half of spring 2012. Just make sure that the binoculars are fixed motionless, because... shaking hands is unlikely to allow you to clearly see the phase of Venus.

As for the second brightest “star” visible next to Venus, this is the planet Jupiter, which occupies the fourth brightest place in the earth’s sky. And if in February Jupiter is visible to the left and above Venus, then on March 12–14, 2012, Venus on the celestial sphere will pass several degrees north of Jupiter, after which they seem to “swap” places in the sky. Jupiter is also interesting for observations with binoculars, since even 7x binoculars can show from one to four of the largest and brightest moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo: Io, Europa, Callisto and Ganymede. For successful observations, you also need to take care that the binoculars are stationary. Then, next to bright Jupiter, you will see tiny “stars” of its main satellites.

Moon, Venus and Jupiter in the starry sky February 24 - 29, 2012. View to the southwest. Early evening.

The crescent moon will pass near Venus on the evening of February 25, 2012, and on February 26–27 it will pass near Jupiter. In March, the Moon will first pass near Jupiter on the evening of the 25th, and on the 26th - near Venus.

Question: How to find Mars in the sky? Mars in the starry sky in February 2012.

Mars in the eastern sky at 22.45 Moscow time on February 22, 2012

Answer: In February 2012 it is very simple: around 23:00 local time, look to the east. Mars is visible as the brightest star on this side of the sky. However, its color is slightly reddish. The Moon on the celestial sphere will approach the planet on March 7 and in the evening will be to the right of Mars. The next time the Moon will be near Mars is on the evening of April 3. Note that at the beginning of March 2012, on the 4th, there will be an opposition of Mars. But in order to see any details of the planet's surface, you will need a small telescope. Through binoculars, any details of the surface of Mars are not visible from Earth.

Search map of spring constellations with positions of the Moon, Mars and Saturn in March 2012

March 2012

Question: Two bright stars in the sky. The brightest star in the sky in March.

Moon, Jupiter and Venus in the eternal sky March 24, 2012

In March, Venus continues to attract special attention, shining in the evenings as a very bright yellow star in the western sky. Jupiter, near which it passed at the beginning of the second ten days of the month, is visible every evening further and further from bright Venus. Venus itself in the sky is gradually approaching a compact group of faint stars, forming a figure similar to a tiny bucket. This is the Pleiades open star cluster, against which Venus will pass at the very beginning of April.

April - May 2012

Question: What is the brightest star visible in the western sky in April - May of this year?

In fact, this is not a star at all, but Earth’s neighbor in the solar system - Venus. Due to the high reflectivity of its atmosphere, covered by dense clouds, this planet is the third brightest luminary in the earth's sky after the Sun and Moon. Venus shone in the evenings in the western sky throughout last winter and during the first two months of spring, and by the end of May this period of evening visibility of Venus will gradually end. Read about the planet's visibility conditions. And on June 6, 2012, a very rare astronomical phenomenon will occur - after which it will appear in the east at dawn, becoming a “morning star”.
Photo: Venus in the evening sky on April 30, 2012.

July - August 2012

Question: Two bright stars at dawn in July? What are those two bright stars in the morning over Moscow?

In July - August, the period of morning visibility of two bright planets continues - Jupiter and Venus, which attract the attention of observers with their bright brilliance. And this is not surprising, because Venus ranks third in brightness in the earth’s sky after the Sun and Moon! And Jupiter is the fourth brightest, only occasionally briefly losing in brilliance to Mars when it is at Great Opposition.
So, in the morning sky of July and August 2012 we observe Jupiter (the bright planet that is higher) and Venus (the one that is lower and brighter). It is worth noting that before this, in the spring of 2012, these planets could be observed in the evening sky after sunset. They were also located close to each other. It just so happened that after disappearing in the rays of the evening dawn, both planets appeared not far from each other in the morning sky at the very end of June. However, in August and in the following months, the angular distance between Jupiter and Venus will rapidly increase. Venus will remain a morning star, while in the fall Jupiter will begin to rise in the evenings in the eastern part of the sky. You can find out more about the visibility conditions of both planets in August 2012.
In the photo: Venus and Jupiter in the predawn sky on July 25, 2012.

Question: How to find the constellation Perseus in the sky?

Answer: A search map, as well as a description of starry sky objects visible in the constellation Perseus, can be found

Question: When will there be two moons in the sky in August?

Answer: In fact, fortunately, no two moons are expected in the sky. This is all a kind of Internet canard, originating from a journalistic mistake made back in 2003. In August 2003, or more precisely on August 28, the Great (or rather, the greatest) confrontation of Mars took place. Enthusiastic journalists were so carried away in their reports by describing the spectacle of this phenomenon that they declared that Mars would approach the Earth so close that in the sky it would appear as a small (second) Moon, and some details could be discerned on its surface, as on face of our natural satellite! Journalists forgot to say one thing: Mars will look like a “small moon” only through telescopes, and the observer’s eye must be trained enough to see the details on the planet’s disk even during the Great Opposition.
But time erases details, and Internet users are still trying to find out about two moons in August. We hope that after reading this commentary, our readers will stop waiting in heaven for something that is not destined to happen.
But the next Great Opposition of Mars is “destined” to occur on July 27, 2018.

February 2015

Question: What bright yellow star shines in the evening in the eastern part of the sky, and in the early morning - low in the west?

June – July 2015

Question: What are the two very bright yellow stars visible in the evenings in the western sky in June and early July 2015?

September – November 2015

Question: What bright star is visible in the east in the morning?

This is Venus - the brightest planet in the solar system in the earth's sky, the third brightest luminary after the Sun and Moon. The fall of 2015 was the period of its morning visibility, so the planet is clearly visible in the mornings in the eastern part of the sky. But the main planetary events will come in October, when four bright planets approach each other in the morning sky: Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. We will talk about this in our October review.

Question: What constellation of 6 stars is visible late in the evening in the east?

If we mean a compact group consisting of 6 stars (see photo), then this is not a constellation, but part of the constellation Taurus.

If you see a bright spot above the horizon at dawn, don't panic. It's not a UFO, maybe it's just Venus.

Planetariums, observatories, weather forecasters and even police departments could be receiving a flurry of calls in the coming days and weeks regarding the strange bright dot dominating the pre-dawn eastern sky. Sunrise is coming later and later, and more and more people are able to see this bright morning object.

But this is just the beginning of a spectacular morning appearance that will continue into September and October. Plus, Venus will be joined by Jupiter for a glorious morning celestial tango.

Venus made the transition from the evening sky to the morning sky on August 15, appearing 45 minutes before sunrise. By early September, she appears before dawn at approximately 4:50 a.m. local time. Until the end of the month, the planet will appear 2.5 minutes earlier each time than on the previous morning. From September 21 to October 26, its rise will be no later than half past four in the morning, and the planet will shine in pitch darkness for more than two hours before the eastern sky begins to brighten.

Venus will shine brighter throughout the month, and early morning passersby will likely be surprised by the diamond-glow object suddenly bursting into the pre-dawn scene. By the end of September, Venus will firmly take its place as the precursor of dawn.

At the same time, for the second time in 2015, Venus will participate in a close conjunction. True, this time they will be separated by more than a degree, and Venus will be to the right and below Jupiter, but it will shine 10 times brighter than the gas giant. Therefore, we get two mysterious bright dots for the price of one!

By the end of October, Venus will rise four hours before the sun, and by the time the star appears, the angle between them will be almost 40 degrees.

Fast passage

Some amateur astronomers may wonder why Venus becomes a dazzling morning object more quickly compared to its evening transit, which seems to last many days, weeks, and sometimes even months.

The difference between this transit and the evening one depends on the position of Venus relative to. When Venus moves from the morning sky to the evening sky (called superior conjunction), it is located on the opposite side of the Sun from Earth.

Being at a distance of 257 million kilometers from Earth in this case, Venus moves relative to the stars at the lowest speed. Moreover, it moves in the same apparent direction relative to the stars as the Sun - to the east. Therefore, on those days when the planet approaches and moves away from the point of superior conjunction, it is in the bright light of the Sun.

During an evening transit, Venus moves far enough from the Sun that it can only be glimpsed briefly low over the western horizon after sunset. Only after several weeks does it climb high enough to become visible in the evening sky.

But during the morning passage everything is different. On August 15, Venus was at inferior conjunction, meaning it was passing between the Earth and the Sun. It was only 40 million kilometers from our planet - more than six times closer than at superior conjunction. Therefore, it appears to move much faster against the background stars. And, most importantly, to an observer on Earth, Venus and the Sun appear to be moving in opposite directions. While the Sun “limps” to the east, Venus “flies” to the west, which allows it to literally burst into the morning sky and become a pre-dawn beacon in just a week or two, as opposed to many weeks in the evening.

And finally, because it is much closer to Earth, the planet's morning appearance occurs when it is at its brightest.

Crescent Moon of Venus

The most remarkable phases of Venus can be seen through a telescope right now. Observers using optics can enjoy the wonderful huge crescent moon. You can see the crescent moon of Venus even with 7x50 binoculars. It will slowly thicken and thin over the coming weeks as the planet moves away from Earth. At the beginning of November, Venus will resemble a half. Later that month, until late autumn and early winter, the planet will visually transform into a tiny but dazzlingly brilliant bulging disk.

So if you hear about a morning UFO sighting in the coming weeks, know that it is most likely an appearance of Venus!

Before describing the starry sky in February, let's remember that although the length of daylight in this month is steadily increasing, the nights are still very long. In mid-latitudes, the dark time of day lasts 13-14 hours. During this time, the Earth manages to rotate more than half a revolution, which means that during the night we can see most of all seasonal constellations. In the evening - autumn and winter, at night - winter and spring. Spring and partly summer - in the morning, before sunrise.

February starry sky in the evening

As dusk sets in, the first February stars appear in the southern sky (to the left of the evening dawn). There are several bright stars here that are part of the so-called winter constellations. Winter constellations are usually called those constellations that are visible in the evenings in the south in winter. (Why in the south? Because the stars rise highest above the horizon, crossing the celestial meridian in the south. At this moment they culminate, as an astronomer would say. Therefore, it is most convenient to observe the constellations and any luminary in general when it is in the south sky.)

Which constellations are traditionally winter constellations? Taurus, Auriga, Eridanus, Canis Major, Hare, Unicorn, Gemini, Canis Minor and, of course, Orion.

The constellation Orion is the brightest and most memorable constellation in the winter sky. Drawing: Stellarium

Constellation Orion- the central winter constellation and the main constellation in the February sky. Its main design consists of seven bright stars, clearly visible even in the city sky. These stars are located very symmetrically. Three stars are located in the center of the constellation, lining up along the same line at the same distance from each other. This is Orion's Belt. The two brightest stars of the constellation are located symmetrically relative to the belt - one above and to the left, the other below and to the right. The one higher is the star Betelgeuse; Its reddish color catches the eye. The one below and to the right is bluish-white Rigel, which, however, in our latitudes often shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.

In the seven-star Orion, as well as in the weaker stars adjacent to it, it is easy to recognize the figure of a hunter: Rigel, together with the star Saif, represent the legs of the mythical hero, Betelgeuse and Bellatrix - the shoulders. The stars to the right of the seven-star mark the hand of Orion, which on ancient maps held a shield or the skin of a killed animal. A chain of stars stretching upward from Betelgeuse is another hand swinging a club.

Starting from the colorful, bright and instantly memorable figure of Orion, you can easily find all the other winter constellations.

Winter constellations surround Orion on all sides. Among them, Canis Major stands out along with the star Sirius, as well as the constellations Taurus, Auriga and Gemini. Drawing: Stellarium

Orion's belt points to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, and with it to constellation Canis Major. If we stretch the Belt line to the right, we will come across the reddish star Aldebaran and the constellation Taurus. Behind Aldebaran you can see the Pleiades - a beautiful star cluster that looks like a tiny bucket. And above the Pleiades, almost at the zenith, a bright yellowish-white star is visible. This is Capella, alpha Auriga.

Included in the constellation Charioteer three more relatively bright stars enter, forming an irregular quadrangle. A compact triangle of 3rd magnitude stars located just below Capella is also part of Auriga. These three stars, together with Capella, form the ancient asterism of the Goat with the Little Goats.

Constellation Eridani, symbolizing the celestial river, is located to the right of Orion - under the constellation Taurus. In mid-latitudes, this vast constellation elongated to the south is only partially visible above the horizon. To view this beautiful but dim constellation, it is better to get out of the city, away from city lights.

The same applies to a small constellation Hare, which is located under the feet of Orion - in mid-latitudes it floats low above the horizon.

Constellation Canis Minor marked by only one bright star, Procyon. Together with Sirius and Betelgeuse, this star forms the Winter Triangle asterism in the sky. Between Sirius and Procyon lies the fabulous Unicorn, a vast but completely inconspicuous constellation.

The Winter Triangle is formed by the stars Betelgeuse, Procyon and Sirius. Drawing: Stellarium

Above the winter triangle, high in the sky, there are two bright stars one above the other. These are the brightest stars in the constellation Gemini. The constellation itself in the city sky looks like an elongated rectangle. But far from the city light, the fainter stars of Gemini also become visible, complementing the pattern of the constellation in such a way that the outlines of the brothers standing in an embrace can be discerned in it. (The names of these brothers are Castor and Pollux; the two brightest stars of Gemini are also named.)

Constellation Gemini. Drawing: Stellarium

Night sky in February

By midnight, the pattern of winter constellations shifts to the west. The constellations Taurus and Orion are leaning toward the horizon; in the south, Gemini and Canis Minor have taken their place.

A constellation rises in the southeast Leo, which can be recognized by a large trapezoid of four stars, at the head of which is the rather bright star Regulus. Between Leo and Gemini there is a dark, starless space. It is occupied by another zodiac constellation - Cancer. You have to be in a really dark place to see it properly!

Constellations Leo and Cancer in the midnight sky of February. Drawing: Stellarium

In the east, another bright star rises above the horizon. This Arcturus, king of the dark spring sky.

Starry sky in February morning

The picture of the morning sky in the last month of winter is not at all similar to the midnight sky. In 6 hours, the celestial sphere makes a third of a revolution, and the stars that shone at midnight in the south, before dawn, either have already gone beyond the horizon or are visible far in the northwest. Among such constellations, visible “to the last,” are the constellations Auriga and Leo.

The western and southern parts of the sky were occupied by dim spring and even some summer constellations. A more or less distinct pattern can be traced only in the constellations Leo, Virgo and Bootes. As we have already said, the Leo figure is based on a trapezoid of four stars. The main stars of Virgo form an irregular quadrangle, with the constellation's brightest star, Spica, in its lower left corner. Finally, the constellation Bootes vaguely resembles a parachute. The orange Arcturus, the brightest star in the northern hemisphere of the sky, acts as a parachutist.

The eastern part of the sky is occupied by the already familiar Great Summer Triangle - three bright stars are quite high when the morning dawn begins to flare up beneath them.

The picture we described is true for the month of February of any year. But sometimes it is “spoilt” by strange bright stars, which can be visible in the zodiac constellations of Pisces and Aries (in the evenings in the west), Taurus, Gemini, Cancer and Leo at night, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio and Ophiuchus in the morning in the south and southeast .

These strange wandering bright "stars" are, of course, planets! Venus, Jupiter, and Mars, which is near opposition, are especially bright. These planets are much brighter than any of the stars, including Sirius, and therefore can confuse, surprise and even frighten the unlucky observer. (In February 2018, Jupiter is perfectly visible in the morning sky in the constellation Libra.)

The planet Saturn, as well as Mars (at other times), look like bright stars, and therefore are also capable of distorting the patterns of constellations. Mercury is not striking, although it is quite bright, since in mid-latitudes it is observed only against the background of morning or evening dawn.

What to see in the sky in February: stars, clusters and nebulae

What else, besides drawings of constellations, should you pay attention to? Of course, on interesting stars, clusters, nebulae and galaxies.

The starry sky of February is rich in interesting objects. Some of them can be seen even with the naked eye, but if you have binoculars, the list of attractions expands significantly. Below we will briefly list only those that can be seen on January evenings with minimal optical equipment. To find nebulae, galaxies, and star clusters, use a good star atlas or planetarium program (such as the free Stellarium program).

Objects for observation with the naked eye

• - perhaps the most famous variable star. Located in the constellation Perseus, it belongs to the class of eclipsing variable stars. The gloss varies from 2.1 m to 3.4 m. An easy object to observe with the naked eye.
• Aldebaran- the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Located next to Jupiter. In the early evening it rises in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Has a distinct reddish tint.
• Altair- the brightest star in the constellation Aquila (magnitude 0.76 m). In the predawn sky in February it is visible far in the east, low above the horizon. Part of the summer triangle.
• Antares- the brightest star in the constellation Taurus. Known for its rich red color. It rises in the morning in the southern part of the sky, in mid-latitudes it is very low above the horizon.
• Betelgeuse- α Orionis, red supergiant. One of the largest stars known to scientists, its diameter is 1000 times the diameter of the Sun. Wrong variable - the brightness varies within almost 1 m. The distance is approximately 500 sv. years.
• Great Orion Nebula (M42)- a bright and beautiful nebula, visible even to the naked eye. The telescope will give you an amazing view. Distance about 1500 sv. years.

The famous Orion Nebula. The picture was taken by the Hubble telescope. Photo: NASA/ESA/M. Robberto (STScI/ESA) et al./APOD

• - the brightest star in the Lyra constellation (magnitude 0.03 m). At night it is visible in the northeast, and before sunrise it is observed high in the east at an altitude of over 50° above the horizon. Part of the Great Summer Triangle.
• Hyades- a large open cluster in the constellation Taurus. The star Aldebaran surrounds the sky. Its shape resembles the Latin letter V. The distance is about 150 light years from Earth.
• - the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus (magnitude 1.25 m). Visible in the morning in the east at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Part of the Great Summer Triangle
• Chapel- a bright yellow star, α Aurigae. Gloss 0.08 m. In the evenings it is located in the east at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon, at night - almost at the zenith in the south, in the morning - in the western part of the sky at an altitude of about 50° above the horizon. Distance 42 St. of the year.
• Castor- α Gemini, the second brightest in the constellation after Pollux. Consists of 6(!) stars connected to each other by gravitational forces. Three stars are visible through the telescope. Distance 52 St. of the year.
• Pleiades- open cluster in the constellation Taurus. Also known under the names Seven Sisters, Stozhary, Volosozhary. It rises after sunset in the east, at night it is visible in the south at an altitude of over 50° above the horizon, in the morning - low above the west. To the naked eye it looks like a small scoop; binoculars show dozens of stars. The distance to Earth is about 400 sv. years.
• Pollux- β Gemini and the brightest star of the constellation. Together with Castor, this star symbolizes the mythical twins born from the almighty Zeus and the beautiful Leda. Orange star. Distance 34 St. of the year.
• - a star marking the North Pole of the celestial sphere (magnitude 2.0 m). Visible at any time of the year and day from anywhere in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. The height above the horizon is determined by the latitude of the observation location and practically does not change during the day. A perpendicular from the North Star to the horizon points to the Earth's North Pole.
• . Formed by three hot white stars - ζ, ε and δ Orionis.
• Rigel- a blue supergiant and the brightest star in the constellation Orion. Distance about 850 sv. years. Luminosity - 120,000 luminosities of the Sun.
• - the brightest star in the night sky. Rise around 10 pm in the southeast. In the south it is visible around 2 am. Due to its low position above the horizon, it often shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.
• β Lira- an eclipsing variable star, the lower right star in the parallelogram of the constellation Lyra. Changes brightness from 3.3 m to 4.3 m with a period of 12.94 days. An optical satellite is visible through binoculars - a bluish star 7.2 m. In February it is good to observe the star late at night and in the morning.
• δ Cephei- prototype of Cepheid variable stars. The brightness varies from 3.6 m to 4.5 m with a period of 5.366 days. Visible in the evening high in the sky in the west, at night - at an altitude of 40° above the northwestern horizon.
• ε Auriga- one of the most amazing stars in the sky. Double; The satellite is surrounded by a massive disk of dust that eclipses the bright component every 27 years.
• ζ Gemini- a well-known variable star. Cepheid. Changes gloss within 3.8-4.4 m with a period of 10 days.
• ζ Auriga- eclipsing variable star, period 2.66 years. Consists of a bright orange giant and a hot blue-white star. Distance about 800 sv. years
• η Gemini or Pass. Found in Castor's leg. Semiregular and eclipsing variable. Changes gloss within 3.1-3.6 m.
• η Cassiopeia- a beautiful double star, visible at its zenith in the evenings. Consists of two stars similar to the Sun. Distance 19 St. years. The distance between components is 12″.
• - probably the most famous double star in the sky. It is located on the break of the handle of the Ursa Major bucket. The components are separated by an angular distance of 12 arc minutes and are well separated by the naked eye. In fact, Mizar is a sixfold star system, which includes, in addition to Mizar and Alcor, 4 more stars. One of them can be observed in small amateur telescopes.

Objects to observe with binoculars and a small telescope

• h&χ Perseus- double cluster in the constellation Perseus. The naked eye can see an elongated nebulous speck halfway between the star Mirfak (α Perseus) and the constellation Cassiopeia. Visible throughout the night high above the horizon. An excellent object for binoculars and small telescopes.
• Collinder 69- open cluster Lambda Orionis. Located in the head of the hunter between the stars Betelgeuse and Bellatrix
• R Lyres- semi-regular variable. Brightness changes from 4.0 m to 5.0 m with a period of 46 days. Located near Vega, visible after sunset high in the sky in the west, at night it is in the northwest low above the horizon.
• Albireo- a beautiful double star, one of whose components is orange and the other is bluish-green. Can be separated even by small binoculars. Albireo represents the head of the Swan or the base of the Northern Cross, at the opposite end of which is Deneb. Visible in the evening in the west at an altitude of about 40° above the horizon, it sets below the horizon around midnight.

Open cluster M35 in the constellation Gemini. Next to it is the more distant and fainter cluster NGC 2158. Photo: New Forest Observatory

• M27- planetary nebula “Dumbbell” in the constellation Chanterelle (see photo above). One of the brightest planetary nebulae in the sky. Clearly visible even with small binoculars above the constellation Sagittarius. In January it is visible in the evenings in the west. The distance is about 1000 sv. years.
• M2- a globular cluster in the constellation Aquarius. Visible in the evenings in the south and southwest. Through binoculars it appears as a foggy spherical spot with blurred edges.
• M13- one of the most beautiful globular clusters in the sky. Located in the constellation Hercules between the stars η and ζ. It is perfectly visible even in 30 mm binoculars, and in a telescope with an aperture of over 80 mm it breaks up into stars at the edges. In January, the cluster rises in the second half of the night in the northeast and is observed until sunrise.
• M15- a bright globular cluster in the constellation Pegasus (magnitude 6.4 m). In the evening it is visible in the south at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon, at night half as low in the west. The landmark is the star Epsilon Pegasus.
• M31- Andromeda's nebula. The famous spiral galaxy, the most distant object visible to the naked eye. The distance is about 2.5 million light years.
• M33- spiral galaxy in the constellation Triangulum. Requires good atmospheric conditions, binoculars with an aperture of over 50 mm and the absence of urban illumination.
• M35- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Gemini. It is located at the foot of Castor, not far from the star Propus (eta Gemini). Distance 2800 St. years.
• M36- open cluster in the constellation Auriga. It is located near the clusters M37 and M38, almost halfway between the stars β Tauri and Capella. Distance - 4100 sv. years.
• M37- a very beautiful open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Located in the middle of the Milky Way. Discovered in 1764 by Charles Messier. Distance - 4400 sv. years.
• M38- another open cluster in the constellation Auriga. Distance - 4300 sv. years.
• M39- a beautiful open cluster in the constellation Cygnus. Located near Deneb. Contains about 30 stars. Under good conditions it can be seen with the naked eye.
• M92- another globular cluster in the constellation Hercules. Gloss 6.5 m. Located almost 9° above M13, it is possible to observe the cluster throughout the night very low above the horizon in the northern part of the sky.
• Melotte 20- open cluster α Persei. A beautiful object to observe with binoculars. Surrounds the bright star Mirfak. Distance about 600 sv. years.
• - or the cluster of Veronica's Hair. A vast open star cluster in the constellation Coma Berenices. It is located between the Trapezium of Leo and the star Arcturus. It is clearly visible to the naked eye in a rural sky, but is most beautiful when viewed through small binoculars. Distance about 300 sv. years.

Open cluster Melott 111 or Coma Cluster.