Here’s a brief look at what’s going on in the Mile High City this week.
February 17:

- Look for the waning gibbous Moon near Spica in Virgo low in the southeastern sky around midnight MST.
February 18:
- Astrophotography Special Interest Group (ASIG) – General Meeting for DAS Members: 7:00 PM (more info).
- Moon at Apogee (furthest point from Earth at 404,881 kilometers):1:12 AM MST
February 19:

- Although the “evening star” is in its crescent phase, late February is a great time to observe the Venus in the western skies after sunset with either binoculars or a telescope. If you’re using a reflector or catadioptric telescope, trying using an aperture reducing mask for sharper views.
- Venus at Perihelion (its closest point to the Sun at 107,479,189 kilometers): 11:00 AM MST
February 20:

- Standley Lake Virtual Astronomy Program: Mariner & Magellan: 6:00 PM MST (more info).
- Last Quarter Snow Moon: 10:32 AM MST
February 21:

- Look for the waning crescent Moon south of Antares (α Scorpii – the red supergiant, who’s name means the rival of Mars) and right next to Paikauhale (τ Scorpii – a bright, blue B-type main-sequence star) to the southeast in Scorpius around 4:00 AM MST.
February 22:

- Standley Lake Indoor Astronomy Program: 6:30 PM at the Majestic View Nature Center (more info – registration required)
- DAS New Member’s Orientation (rescheduled from January): 7:00 PM at Chamberlain Observatory (more info)
February 23:

- Look for the gas giant Jupiter and the ice giant Uranus (with a telescope) on either side of the two open star clusters in Taurus, the Pleiades (Messier 45) and the Hyades (Caldwell 41) high in the southwestern sky around 7:00 PM.
This Week’s Meteoric Activity:
You can keep track of the activity of meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal.
- Anthelion (ANT): 1:00 AM local time in central Cancer: 3 per hour
- Alpha Centaurids (ACE):5:00 AM local time in southeastern Centaurus: less than 1 per hour
Clear skies and happy stargazing!