Some of the brightest stars in the night sky form the Winter Circle, a jewel-studded cosmic necklace that fills much of the southern sky. Look for it as the sky gets nice and dark. The circle’s hub is bright orange Betelgeuse, in Orion the hunter.
Weekly Stargazing Tips
Provided by StarDate.org. Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
February 21: Winter Circle
February 22: Beta Cassiopeia
A bright star in Cassiopeia is nearing the end of its life, so it is beginning to puff up like a giant balloon. Beta Cassiopeia is in the northwest this evening, at the bottom of a sideways letter W formed by some of the constellation’s leading lights.
February 23: Messier 41
The star cluster Messier 41 trots along with the Dog Star, Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. They stand due south about 9 p.m., with the cluster directly below Sirius. Under dark skies, M42 is just visible to the eye alone as a small, hazy patch of light.
February 24: Stationary Mars
Mars is stationary today, appearing to stand still against the background of stars, a result of the angle and relative motions of Mars and Earth in their orbits. After today, the planet will resume its normal eastward motion.
February 25: Spiral Galaxies
A pinwheel and a whirlpool both spin away near the Big Dipper’s handle. They are two of the closest and most beautiful spiral galaxies in the sky. Both are visible through small telescopes: M101, the Pinwheel; and M51, the Whirlpool.
February 26: Rosette Nebula
Most stars begin their lives in colorful style, inside giant, glowing clouds of gas and dust. One example is the Rosette Nebula, which looks like a delicate rose. It is in Monoceros, the unicorn, and is high in the south-southeast at nightfall.
February 27: New Moon
The Moon is new today as it crosses between Earth and the Sun. It is hidden in the Sun’s glare. It will return to view on Saturday as a thin crescent, low in the west during evening twilight.