Posted 2 February 2014 This post is biased towards events that can be seen with the unaided eye or via the Internet. It also can only cover predictable events. Random events such as asteroid impacts won’t be listed. Where events are time specific, I have listed the events in AEST (Australian Eastern Standard Time) and AEDT (Australian Eastern Daylight Time).
All week: Jupiter will continue to be prominent in the early evening sky. Look above the Northern horizon at the end of evening twilight. Venus will be the brightest ‘star’ in the morning twilight sky. To locate Venus, look low above the Eastern horizon. Information on other astronomy events can be found on this website’s February 2014 Astronomy Events page.
All week: International Space Station is not visible in the evening/morning sky this week for Canberra, Australia. Go here for satellite viewing information / predictions for all Australian locations.
Wednesday 5 February 2014: Jupiter’s Great Red Spot will transit the face of Jupiter at 10:13 AEST /11:13 pm AEDT. A telescope will be required to view this event. Jupiter is the brightest star visible above the Northern horizon at the end of evening twilight (finder chart).
Thursday 6 February 2014: Launch of Progress 54P robotic spacecraft to International Space Station. Launch currently scheduled for 2:23 am AEST / 3:23 am AEDT. Watch the launch via NASA TV.
Thursday 6 February 2014: Docking of Progress 54P robotic spacecraft to International Space Station. Docking currently scheduled for 8:25 am AEST / 9:25 am AEDT. Watch the docking via NASA TV.
Friday 7 February 2014: Launch of Ariane 5 rocket with two satellites from French Guiana. Launch currently scheduled for a two hour time window starting 6:30 am AEST / 7:30 am AEDT. Will be webcast via Arianespace.tv.
Space anniversaries
3 February 1966: Luna 9 Landing on the Moon (1st Moon Landing that succeeded)
5 February 1974: Mariner 10 completed a Venus flyby
6 February 1991: Salyut 7 space station re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere.
