This calendar month , if you ’re in the northerly hemisphere , you might see a big , otherworldly trilateral of faint white lightness appear above the westerly horizon about an hour after sunset . Those are not faint city light . The ghostly phenomenon is calledzodiacal light , and it ’s the expression of sunshine off interplanetarydebris from comet and asteroid collision . These cosmic dust particles figure our atmosphere and settle down into a diffuse cone cell of brightness that is fat near the sun and tapers as it stretch out upwards .
This ethereal light was visible as of last week and should continue through February 20th , consort to Sky and Telescope , thanks to themoon making itself scarce . Zodiacal ignitor is also sleep with as afalse dawn(pictured above ) . That ’s because during the gloam , it appear at the eastern horizon about an hour or two before dawning .
This lightly - reflecting debris trip around the sun in the same plane as the planets in our solar organization : a categorical disk known as the ecliptic . The ecliptic forms the center of the zodiac , the band of constellations that the sun , moon , and the planets fall through . That ’s also where the zodiacal light get its name . In ancient times , the 12 constellation correlate with the 12 zodiac sign , but the configuration are ramble aside and their boundaries had to be redefined . The Lord’s Day ’s course , or the ecliptic , now cash in one’s chips through 13 configuration , with Ophiuchus as the new addition .
Because zodiacal light and the Milky Way are both oriented nearly vertically at times , the two are often confused . you’re able to see the dispute below inthis NASA APOD . Both band are standing in the nighttime sky above the Teide Observatory on the island of Tenerife off the coast of Morocco :
To see zodiacal ignitor in the northern cerebral hemisphere this month , get away from bright metropolis lights and look west - southwest about an hour to 90 minutes after sunset . First , give your centre 20 minute to correct to the dark , Space.com explains , then use Venus and Mars ( which will be bright and humbled on the western horizon ) to locate the base of the cone of zodiacal light . It will be pitch to the left . The Milky Way will be about 20 degree to the right hand .
If you ’re in the southern cerebral hemisphere , take care for zodiacal light in the sunrise .
Images : Yuri Beletsky / ESO(top),Daniel López / IAC(middle ) via NASA Astronomy Photo of the sidereal day
