Don’t be disheartened if you missed the celestial events from January because this chilly month (or depending on the region you live in) brings many breathtaking events!
Things are already getting started on the first of the month as the Moon will be in close orbit with Venus, Saturn, and Neptune. In the night sky, you will be able to spot the waxing crescent phase of the Moon near the three planets, a sight that will be both breathtaking with the naked eye and advanced equipment.
From February 8-9, the Alpha Centaurids meteor shower will peak. This shower will be best viewed in the Southern Hemisphere and in some regions to the south of the Northern Hemisphere. However, it may be difficult to view depending on the region you live in: since the shower will only produce 6 meteors an hour, it may be difficult to view especially if you live in a region where there is a lot of light from things like streetlamps or cars. My suggestion is to go to an area without these bright lights so you can take in the breathtaking show.
February 12 may be a difficult day to view most of the constellations and stars in the night sky because it will be a full moon. The reason I say this is because the Moon is so big and bright that it basically takes the spotlight and acts as the center of attention: since the light being reflected off the body is so bright, it makes it difficult to view the dim light coming from the stars, thereby making it more difficult to view the constellations. Don’t worry because two weeks later, the Moon will be so thin that you can view these stars and constellations at your ease!
If you look up in late evenings, you might see a bright star in the sky that, if the rising time is right, is also accompanied by a moon. Well get this, it is not a star you are looking at but a planet, Venus. During these winter months, Venus can be easily viewed in most areas of the world as its orbit approaches Earth. If you think the planet is bright on these nights, go outside and see it on February 16 when it is expected to be at its brightest point.
On February 25, Mercury and Saturn will be in conjunction which is a perfect opportunity for avid space photographers to capture this moment. As a reminder, when two planets are in conjunction, their orbits line up. Unfortunately, this will be in the waning phase of the moon, meaning that the lunar body won’t line up with Mercury and Saturn in their conjunction.
Be sure to look up in the night sky and see if you can capture some events of your own! There is always a mystery you can uncover in the night sky and you can still do that even if you don’t have specialized equipment like a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
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