Groundhog Day, the Mars hoax and other travesties

Well, we have burned through the first month of our new year and things are starting to heat up astronomically speaking, now we just have to wait for the weather to catch up.

Yesterday was Groundhog Day, or the day that pesky rodent in Pennsylvania was supposed to stick his head out of his burrow looking for his shadow.

Folklore says if he does see his shadow it will scare him so that he returns to his burrow and we will have six more weeks of winter, however, if no shadow he will go about his business of coming out of winter hibernation and spring will have an early start.

Well, not being one to cast aspersions on folk tales, if we check the calendar we see there will be six more weeks of winter no matter what the fuzzy little critter does. As we discussed last week, Feb. 2, is a cross-quarter day, or a day that is roughly halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal (spring) equinox.

If you have not yet braved the early morning chill for a glimpse of the four visible planets now residing along the ecliptic, there is still time, and with sunrise getting later we won't need to be up so early.

I would suggest the best morning for viewing will be Saturday, Feb. 6, and will explain why later.

Start your viewing at about 0600 hours MST looking eastward to find a blazing bright Jupiter about halfway up the sky. After finding Jupiter, swing your view to due south for a reddish-looking Mars. Mars will be at opposition in May which means it will be opposite the Sun in the sky and visible all night.

It also means in all probability the return of the Mars hoax which will say that Mars will be as large as the full moon in the sky. I am going to make a personal appeal that when it does appear, please do not forward or otherwise pass along this blatant falsehood.

This travesty of the truth has been around since 2003 and despite the best of efforts refuses to die.

Continue to swing your view eastward to find a relatively dim Saturn above the southeast horizon. A slender crescent moon will be about 10 degrees to its left. If you hold our fist at arms length it will measure about five degrees, so two fist-widths will be about 10 degrees.

Now, the reason for viewing on the morning of Feb. 6. Look just above the eastern horizon to find an absolutely super grouping of the super-slender crescent moon, Venus to its right, and below the moon the tiny planet Mercury.

In all probability, binoculars will be needed to find Mercury.

Now, just for grins, there is another planet in this morning mix and that is the planet Pluto. It is located a little more than one degree above Venus. You won't be able to see it, but at least you will know where it is.

SKY WATCH: New moon (which means no moon) Feb. 8. That is also the day of Chinese New Year.

NEXT WEEK: Other galaxies, more constellations, and more astronomical blathering.