Woking Planetarium

Read our February sky notes to find out what’s in the night sky this month!

Map

Constellations

These constellations are well placed in the evening this month, but many more can be seen. Check the star map for more.

Gemini, the twins, appears in the eastern sky at sunset this month. It moves across the sky passing close to the zenith over the course of the night, before setting in the early hours of the morning.

Orion is a bright constellation nicely placed in the south in the early evening. It moves towards the west as the night gets later.

Auriga can be seen close to the zenith after sunset this month. It moves lower in the sky throughout the night, forming a circle towards the west before finally setting in the north just before sunrise.

Planets

Mercury is very difficult to see this month; its highest altitude in the morning sky is 8° on the 7^th. It is likely to be obscured by the light of the sunrise. Mercury reaches dichotomy (half phase) on the 11^th, and will be at greatest elongation west on the 16^th. It will be in conjunction with Pluto on the 12^th and conjunction with the Moon on the 28^th. It reaches aphelion, its furthest point from the Sun, on the 28^th.

Venus can be seen in the morning sky low on the south eastern horizon. Its greatest brightness will be on the 9^th. Venus will be in conjunction with Mars on the 13^th and conjunction with the Moon on the 27^th.

Mars will be very low above the south eastern horizon this month, possibly obscured by the light of Venus close by. It will be in conjunction with Venus on the 13^th and conjunction with the Moon on the 27^th.

Jupiter appears low in the south western sky just after sunset. It appears lower each day, and will not be visible for the second half of the month. Jupiter will be in conjunction with the Moon on the 2^nd.

Saturn is too close to the Sun to be seen this month. It will be at solar conjunction on the 4^th and conjunction with the Moon on the 28^th.

Uranus is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. It appears high in the western sky at sunset, setting around 01:00 GMT. There will be a lunar occultation of Uranus on the 7^th.

Neptune is too faint to be seen with the naked eye. It appears low in the western sky at sunset, setting soon after.

Moon

Last Quarter: 23^rd

New Moon: 1^st

First Quarter: 8^th

Full Moon: 16^th

The Moon is at perigee, its closest point to the Earth, on the 26^th, and apogee, its furthest point from the Earth on the 11^th. This effect is not visually apparent.

The Moon is at perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on the 28^th. The Moon is at aphelion, its furthest point from the Sun, on the 18^th. This effect is not visually apparent.

Points of Interest

19P/Borrelly reaches perihelion, its closest point to the Sun on the 2^nd.

Asteroid 20 Massalia reaches opposition on the 5^th.

Visit Spot the Station to find out when the ISS will be visible from your location.

Last updated: 13^th January.