Venus continues to dazzle in the southwestern sky after sunset!

As we head through February, Venus will brighten and climb higher. By month’s end, Venus will be a shining gem until 9:30 pm. Mercury joins Venus and will put on its best show of 2020, on the night of February 10 (Illustration 1).

Mars, Jupiter and Saturn make a stunning group in the predawn sky (Illustration 2).

Now, let’s grab our winter coats, hat, gloves, warm socks and boots and enjoy our hike. As we head out around 7:30, make sure to have on hand your Starry Trail Map and binoculars.

 

Be sure to download your Starry Trails & Starry Sky Map & Illustrations so you can find everything you are looking for !

Starry Trails Audio – January

Take Starry Trails with you! – Listen to Suzie as she helps you navigate your journey thru the stars !!

Highlights

February 1 – First Quarter Moon.

February 9 – Full Moon. According to folklore it is the Full Snow Moon or Hunger Moon.

February 10 – Mercury at greatest elongation in the west – southwestern sky after sunset.

February 15 – Last Quarter Moon.

February 18 – The Moon passes north of Mars in the predawn sky.

February 19 – The Moon passes south of Jupiter in the predawn sky.

February 20 – The Moon passes south of Saturn in the predawn sky

February 23 – New Moon.

February 27 – The Crescent Moon passes south of Venus.

 

Brightest Stars: South – Sirius, Betelgeuse, Rigel, Aldebaran, Procyon  Overhead – Capella, Castor, Pollux  East – Regulus.

Binocular Highlights: The Moon, Andromeda Galaxy M31, Double Cluster near Perseus, Pleiades, Orion Nebula M42, Beehive Cluster M44, Deep sky objects around Capella (M36,37,38) thru the Milky Way to Cassiopeia.

Telescope Highlights: The Moon, Venus, Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, M1, M31, M41, M42, M44, M51, M81, M82, M35,36,37,38 (near Capella), NGC869 & 864.

 

So, remember… with a little practice, you can see so many awesome sights!!

Head in to warm up and enjoy some hot chocolate!