Diving Into the Highlights of the February Astronomical Calendar

The awe-inspiring planetary parade will reach a crescendo in early February when it is joined by the moon. The month's astronomy calendar will also feature a full moon and some of the best stargazing opportunities of the year. Here is a peek at the February astronomical calendar as well as a look back at the anniversary of the Challenger explosion.

Moon Joins Planetary Parade - February 3

Stargazers have been delighted in recent weeks as six planets have lined up in the night skies to deliver a stunning sight. This planetary parade got started in January and will peak in early February when it is joined by a crescent moon in the southwestern sky.

The moon will shine in the middle of the planetary alignment just after sunset on Monday, February 3. You will find the crescent moon positioned between Venus and Uranus. While there are six planets lined up together, you will need a telescope to see Uranus and Neptune.

The moon will track past the planets throughout the first few weeks of February. The celestial body will align with Jupiter on February 6 before meeting up with Mars a few nights later on February 9.

Full Snow Moon - February 12

February 12 will feature the second full moon of the year rising in the sky. The full moon will appear on two nights, giving you a better chance for clear conditions to experience its beauty.

The February full moon is traditionally known as the Snow Moon as it rises during one of the snowiest times of the year in North America. It is also sometimes known as the Bear Moon, the Hungry Moon, the Bald Eagle Moon, and the Groundhog Moon.

Clear View of Stars - Late February

While there are no other major astronomical events on the calendar in February, the month provides ideal viewing conditions to check out the night skies. The winter season offers clear conditions for stargazing thanks to the lack of moisture in the air. In comparison, the summer months are marked by muggy nights that tend to obscure the view of the beauty above. The downside is that astronomical enthusiasts will need to dress warmly when taking in the wonder of Mother Nature.

Astronomical experts also note that stars appear to twinkle more during the cold winter months. The best night of the month to check out the stars will be on February 27 due to the new moon. The lack of moonlight associated with a new moon makes it easier to detect constellations.

If you are having challenges differentiating between stars and planets, remember that stars will twinkle while planets will not.

Anniversary of Challenger Tragedy Marked

This past week also served as a time to reflect on the anniversary of the tragic Challenger explosion. The space shuttle Challenger exploded off the coast of Florida on the morning of January 28, 1986. To this day, the event is regarded as one of the worst disasters in the history of NASA.

The STS-51-L mission was the 10th flight for the Challenger spacecraft as well as the 25th flight launched by the space shuttle program. A catastrophic failure within the shuttle's rockets happened just 73 seconds after liftoff, taking the lives of all seven crew members. Most famously, a teacher named Christa McAuliffe was on board the shuttle.

It took months for investigators to determine the cause of the failure. The Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident was responsible for investigating the cause of the incident. The investigators reported that the primary fault was with the failure of a specific O-ring joint located in one of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs).

There are designated seals that are engineered to prevent hot gases from leaking through the O-ring joint as the rocket motor heats up. The commission found that there were no other elements that failed during the launch.

Photographic data observed less than one second after ignition showed gray smoke coming from the aft field joint positioned on the right SRB. More smoke was seen just after the seal failed, paving the way for the hot gas to escape. This gas then caught fire, triggering the failure of the external fuel tank and the subsequent explosion. The recovered wreckage also lined up with the theory that there was a severe failure in the function of the O-ring.

How Weather Impacted the Cause of the Explosion

The weather at the time of the launch is partly to blame for the failure of the O-ring. It was an exceptionally cold day in Florida with temperatures slipping into the 20s near the launch pad just a few hours before the scheduled liftoff. These readings compared to the norm of about 50 degrees for the Space Coast at the end of January. The weather on this day brought the lowest temperature ever recorded for a shuttle launch.

Experts now believe that the freezing temperatures could have supported the development of ice in the joints, mitigating the ability of the parts to function to standard. The investigation of the accident revealed that the O-rings had been destroyed a short time after ignition.

The frigid weather also allowed ice to form in and around the launch pad. Ice had also formed along the evacuation route designated for astronauts to use should an emergency happen when the shuttle is on the ground. If the crew had needed to evacuate the shuttle while still on the launch pad, they would have been trying to escape on an icy surface.

The report concluded that the tragedy could have been prevented had there been an adequate freeze protection plan for the launch pad. The Commission also detailed that there was so much ice that the shuttle should not have been allowed to launch.

In addition to the ice, strong wind shear could have also played a part in the ill-fated launch. The high shear added extra force to the rockets as they were ignited.

The Challenger explosion had far-reaching impacts on the NASA program. All of the agency's launches were suspended for 32 months in order for the investigation to be completed.

The space shuttle Discovery successfully launched on September 29, 1988, marking the return to space for NASA. Included in the changes was the ability for astronauts to be able to evacuate during the launch should an emergency arise.

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