Asteroid 2 Pallas has reached its stationary point in the sky near the four stars forming the body of Delphinus the Dolphin.
The small constellation Delphinus has a distinctive shape and holds a multitude of unusual stars. Credit: Bill and Sally Fletcher
Asteroid 2 Pallas is visible in the late evening and overnight into the early morning. Around local midnight, you’ll find this main-belt world some 16° high in the eastern sky, a few degrees east of the four-star lozenge in Delphinus also called Job’s Coffin.
This small, diamond-shaped asterism is made from four 4th-magnitude stars: Alpha, Beta (β), Gamma (γ), and Delta (δ) Delphini. You’ll find it about 14° east-northeast of bright Altair in Aquila. Once you’ve located Job’s Coffin, slide 6° east with binoculars or a telescope to land on 10th-magnitude Pallas. Previously moving eastward toward the border Delphinus shares with Pegasus, Pallas reached its stationary point yesterday and will now do an about-face and begin moving westward against the background sky, tracking back deeper into Delphinus once more.
While you’re in the area, if you’re using even a small scope make sure to skip back over to Gamma Del, the easternmost star in the Coffin. Through a telescope, this star can be split into its two binary components, which shine and 4th and 5th magnitudes. They are 10” apart.
Sunrise: 5:32 A.M.
Sunset: 8:25 P.M.
Moonrise: 2:22 P.M.
Moonset: 1:58 A.M.
Moon Phase: Waxing gibbous (65%)
*Times for sunrise, sunset, moonrise, and moonset are given in local time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. local time from the same location.
For a look ahead at more upcoming sky events, check out our full Sky This Week column.
