Beyond the stars – The Hindu

There’s a lot to look out for in February
| Photo Credit: AFP

This is a lucky month for amateur astronomers as it offers a chance to spot at least six planets in the night sky. That’s not all. Here’s the list of all you can see in the February skies.

Full Moon: The Moon will be on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun on February 12 and its face will be fully illuminated. Early Native American tribes called it the Snow Moon because the heaviest snow usually fell during this time. Since the harsh weather made hunting difficult, some tribes also called it the Hunger Moon.

New Moon: The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun on February 28, and will not be visible in the night sky. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.

Planetary Parade: A rare planetary alignment featuring Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune will be visible every night from sunset till around 9:30 p.m. The alignment peaks on February 28, when Mercury joins the procession, forming a seven-planet alignment.

At her brightest: The best time to catch Venus is after sunset. Seen above the western horizon, it will be at its brightest best, making it easily the most visible night sky object after the Moon.

Beehive Cluster: Did you know St. Valentine is also the patron saint of beekeeping? On February 14, spot the Beehive Cluster (M44), a group of about 1,000 stars that shines brightly in the constellation Cancer. You can see it without a telescope if the sky is dark but it looks even better through one. First, identify the constellation and then look for Asellus Borealis and Asellus Australis. The Beehive Cluster is at its highest point around an hour before midnight on February 14 and can also be seen in the early hours of February 15.