The 'morning star' Venus returns to the dawn sky this month

[Admin]

The planet Venus has returned to the early morning sky and has established itself as a dazzling morning lantern, emerging into view from beyond the east-southeast horizon before 5 a.m. local standard time.

The 'morning star' Venus returns to the dawn sky this month : Read more

 

[rod]

I enjoyed some excellent views of crescent Venus early morning 06-Feb. From my log - [Observed 0530-0645 EST/1030-1145 UT. Sunrise 0708 EST/1208 UT. I used 10x50 binoculars and viewed Antares and M4 globular cluster in Scorpius. Scorpius lovely view this winter morning, unaided eyes, and binoculars. Using 90-mm refractor telescope with TeleVue 14-mm Delos eyepiece at 71x, the telescope provided better views of M4. Venus at 71x, brilliant crescent shape at apparent magnitude near -4.89 according to Stellarium 0.21.3, illumination about 20%. Its angular size close to 45 arcsecond. In 10x50 binocular views, the crescent shape very apparent. The telescope view was much better. I did observe Mars later near 0615 EST. Venus and Mars angular separation a bit more than 7 degrees apart in Sagittarius. Venus rises at my location about 0443 EST, Mars rise 0500 EST. There was a tree line to my SE so better views of Venus and Mars later in the morning as their elevation angle or altitude improved. As the sky brightened due to approaching sunrise, Mars visible to my unaided eyes at 0632 EST and later. Venus just brilliant Easy telescope views then. Telescope views at 71x, Mars resolved as a small, orange-red planetary disk. Mars angular size 4.39 arcsecond according to Stellarium 0.21.3, apparent magnitude +1.44. An enjoyable early morning winter observation using 10x50 binoculars and telescope, temperature -8C, light winds ENE at 2 knots. Wood burning stove running was very comfortable when I came back inside.]