The moon in early February is that late-night/early-morning object that people seldom see 鈥� they鈥檙e either inside preparing for bed or already asleep. Watch for it in the morning鈥檚 southwestern sky in the waning gibbous phase.
As the week progresses, the moon becomes thinner and thinner, gradually getting closer to the sun until new moon Feb. 11. Just before that, Feb. 10, Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus join up to make a nice quartet, except they鈥檙e too close to the sun to see. By Feb. 17, in the evening, Uranus is three degrees north of the crescent moon. The following day, Feb. 18, sees Mars four degrees north of Luna. Feb. 22, Luna is four degrees north of M35. The moon is full Feb. 28.
Mercury is rounding from in front of the sun, not visible until the second half of the month, rising in the east before sunrise. It鈥檚 not a great apparition for northern viewers, but the best one for 麻豆传媒AVern Hemisphere observers.
Venus is the Morning Star, rising in the east and shining in all its brightness as it continues in its orbit behind the sun. The ecliptic hugs the horizon in the late winter, so spotting the inner planets is a real challenge. They rise just before the sun, so are fleetingly visible. Feb. 10 presents an opportunity to see Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and the moon all in an early morning group, but close to the sun.
Mars remains a great evening object, high in the south at sunset. The Red Planet is in Aries early in the month, progressing into Taurus and the stars of the Pleiades by month-end. Feb. 18, Mars is four degrees north of the moon.
Jupiter gets further and further from the sun in the morning twilight. It still presents a great grouping with Mercury and Saturn near the end of the month, which could be a good photo opportunity for avid astrophotographers.
Saturn, too, is in the eastern morning sky before daybreak, clustered with Mercury and Jupiter. The giant planets move further apart as Jupiter pulls away from Saturn. Venus is 0.4 degrees south of Saturn Feb. 5, but chances of seeing dimmer Saturn are all but impossible against the brightness of Venus.
Uranus is in the eastern evening sky among the stars of Aries, setting near midnight.
Neptune is approaching conjunction March 11, so is getting closer and closer to the sun. The blue-green planet is briefly visible, with optical aid, just after sunset.
James Edgar has had an interest in the night sky all his life. He joined the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada in 2000, was national president for two terms, is now the editor of the Observer鈥檚 Handbook and production manager of the bi-monthly RASC Journal. The IAU named asteroid 1995 XC5 鈥�(22421) Jamesedgar鈥� in his honour.
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