Liberal Arts Blog — “When, Where, Why” (Part Two) February Syzygy (The Alignment Of Celestial Bodies) Plus The “Snow Moon”!
Liberal Arts Blog — Monday is the Joy of Math, Statistics, Shapes, and Numbers Day
Today’s Topic: “When, Where, Why” (Part Two) February Syzygy (the alignment of celestial bodies) plus the “Snow Moon”!
Two weeks ago, Moore’s Law and Huang’s Law. Last week the first part in a series on using the position of the moon, the sun, and the planets to teach the joy of both math and science to curious minds of every age. Today’s post is an even more direct follow-up to the Science Day post on “January Syzygy” (Jan 15).
February with its dry air (which reduces atmospheric interference) and Orion to the south in the early evening is one of the best months of the year for night sky viewing (weather permitting). Today, some highlights.
Over the course of the month the position of the evening moon relative to planets will change in dramatic ways, appearing to hop from planet to planet. On February 6th it will be near Jupiter. On February 9th near Mars. If you have not noticed this “hopping” before — you are in for a treat! And the opportunity to share the joy of it with family and friends!
Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
THE MOON PHASES OF FEBRUARY 2025 — my favorite phase is the crescent — especially the very thinnest which will happen on February 28th. Proposed family tradition — a monthly family dinner celebrating the upcoming month’s calendar of night sky events!
1. Note, again, how radical the change in the look of the moon in just one week’s time!
2. The February full moon is called the “Snow Moon” following on the heels of the “Wolf Moon” (January) and just ahead of the “Worm Moon” (March). Wolves are said to howl most in the winter because of the scarcity of food. Worms start to appear in the ground in March.
3. Abraham Lincoln’s birthday is February 12th (not a federal holiday). President’s Day is February 17th.
NB: “On the evening of February 28, 2025, a slender waxing crescent moon will float above the western horizon about 30–40 minutes after sunset. Far above it, Venus will glow brightly. Look for bright Mercury close to the moon.”
VENUS WILL BE AT ITS BRIGHTEST ON VALENTINE’S DAY !!!!
1. Venus is the brightest of the planets and the third brightest object in the night sky after the sun and the moon.
2. Venus is roughly 95% the size of the earth, It is the hottest of the planets — 426 degrees, with an atmospheric pressure 90X that of earth. Its atmosphere is made up largely of carbon dioxide and sulfuric acid.
3. Venus, named after the God of love and beauty, is the closest planet to the earth and is sometimes called “its evil twin.”
LATE FEBRUARY — ALL SEVEN PLANETS ALIGN IN THE ULTIMATE “PLANETARY PARADE” (AKA SYZYGY) that is, weather permitting. Four will be visible with the naked eye (Mars, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn), the other three requires a telescope (Mercury, Uranus, Neptune)
1. Mars is half the size of earth and has two moons (Venus has none). The temperature is about -85 degrees Fahrenheit. It has the tallest mountain in the solar system. Elon Musk plans to send uncrewed missions there in 2026, a crewed mission by 2030, and a colony by 2050.
2. Jupiter: largest planet, no solid surface, swirling gases and liquids. Diameter is 11X that of earth. If hollow, 1000 earths could fit inside. About 425 million miles from earth. Jupiter has 67 moons.
3. Saturn: second largest planet, massive ball of hydrogen and helium, equatorial diameter of roughly 75,000 miles, “If Earth were the size of a nickel, Saturn would be about as big as a volleyball.” About 925 million miles from earth. Saturn has seven main rings and thousands of smaller ones. They are made up of ice and dust.
Visible planets and night sky guide for February
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/planet-visible-alignment-february
What are the names of full moons throughout the year?
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/februarys-night-sky-venus-valentines-30922104
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System
QUOTE OF THE MONTH — Have you made your own Bible yet?
“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in all your readings have been to you like the blast of a trumpet.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
My spin — then periodically review, re-rank, and exchange your list with those you love. I call this the “Orion Exchange” because seven is about as many as any human can digest at a time. Game?
ATTACHMENTS BELOW:
#1 A graphic guide to justice (9 metaphors on one page).
#2 “39 Songs, Prayers, and Poems: the Keys to the Hearts of Seven Billion People” — Adams House Senior Common Room Presentation, (11/17/20)
NB: Palestine Orion (Decision) — let’s exchange Orions, let’s find Rumi’s field (“Beyond all ideas of right and wrong, there is a field. Meet me there” Rumi, 13 century Persian Sufi mystic)
Last four years of posts organized thematically:
YOUR TURN
Please share the coolest thing you learned this week related to math, statistics, or numbers in general.
Or, even better, the coolest or most important thing you learned in your life related to math.
This is your chance to make someone else’s day. And to consolidate in your memory something you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something dear to your heart. Continuity is key to depth of thought.
