Welcome to the February night sky. This year, February has only 29 days which means that year 2024 is a leap year.
February is the month of romance and love! I encourage you to grab your sweetheart (and some warm clothing) and head outside to observe the magical Moon, planets, and stars.
February 2 brings us the last quarter Moon at 6.18pm.
The New Moon peaks on February 9 at 5.59pm. The New Moon is sometimes seen as a period of rebirth … a new period of growth of something or perhaps the start of a new challenge!
February 11 to 13, the Crescent Moon. Typically, the Crescent Moon looks like an archer’s bow, but for these special few days, the moon appears to smile in the fading twilight. Make time to head out and see it, and let it bring a smile to your face!
February 14, Valentine’s Day, you can observe the planetary giant Jupiter hovering just next to the Moon. It’s a beautiful sight – consider toasting the heavens with a glass of champagne over a romantic dinner.
February 16, First Quarter Moon at 10.01am. The first Quarter Moon is on full display! Have you ever wondered why it isn’t called a Half Moon? We have the scoop.
In the morning hours of February 20 to 24, Planetary Conjunction. Earth’s two nearest neighbours will come together in conjunction. Look to the southeast to see Mars and Venus visiting one another.
Planets Mercury and Mars are not well visible this month. The gas giant planet Jupiter is the most visible planet, and the Moon is close on the 14th and 15th of the month. At the same time over in the southwest, the ringed planet Saturn is visible up until sunset on the 14th.
Neptune and Uranus require a small telescope to be seen. Halfway between the Pleiades cluster and Jupiter is located the gas giant planet Uranus. This planet is often overlooked by amateur astronomers as it is barely visible with the naked eye and needs binoculars or a small telescope to be seen. The planet Uranus orbits beyond Saturn and was discovered by William Herschel in 1781.
Herschel used a small homemade reflector telescope of seven inches aperture. The view he had was of a tiny green disc and not a starlike point. Herschel noticed this and initially he thought it might be a small comet, but when the orbit was computed, it was recognized as a planet.
Uranus has five major Moons visible in amateur telescopes – these are called Miranda, Ariel, Titania, Umbriel, and Oberon. The Moon Miranda is 470 kilometres in diameter and orbits close into Uranus. It is mainly made from huge blocks of broken ice, and its surface has spectacular ice cliffs with shear vertical drops of 20,000 metres, the largest in the solar system.
Auriga constellation is visible with its brightest star Capella, and it is visible all night.
We have also visible four comets in the northern atmosphere of the Sky, but in order to see all of them, you will need a telescope. One of them is in the constellation of Ophiuchus and the other one near Uranus.
Canopus is the brightest star in the southern constellation of Carina and the second brightest star in the night sky. But it is only visible for a few weeks every year and can be seen at an altitude of 37 degrees.
There is a minor source of meteor shower, and this is called Alpha-Centaurids, visible on the 8th – but this meteor shower is very weak.
By Clive Jackson
|| features@algarveresident.com
Clive Jackson is the director of the Camera Obscura – Tavira EYE attraction, located near the Castle of Tavira. Specialising in education and public outreach.
281 322 527 | info@torredetavira.com www.torredetavira.com
To see the February Sky Map click on the pdf link below
