Jupiter leaves the evening sky this month.  During the next two weeks, face southwest at dusk and look for the brightest point of light there. Jupiter sets by 7:30 as February opens, so you must look soon after dusk to see it.   However, Jupiter sets earlier and earlier and appears lower and lower to the horizon each February night, and soon disappears into the Sun’s glare.  On Tuesday, February 16, observers with a clear view of the horizon during twilight can try to see a very close conjunction of Jupiter with Venus, which is slowly moving out of the Sun’s glare.  By the end of the month, Earth and Jupiter are on opposite sides of the Sun and Jupiter is therefore invisible to us.  

  Mars has become an evening object.  It is now already up in the east-northeast by dusk.  Mars already outshines all stars in the night sky except the very brightest (Sirius), and will continue to brighten throughout February.  On January 29, Mars came to opposition as Earth passed between Mars and the Sun, putting Mars in our sky all night long.  Earth now starts to pull ahead of Mars on its faster orbit.  As a result, Mars is slightly dimmer each night for the rest of 2010.  However, during February, Mars remains about as bright as the brightest stars, and thus remains easy to see.    Saturn is now high in the southwest at dawn.  Although not as bright as Mars this month, Saturn is brightening as it approaches its own opposition in March.  

Dazzling Orion is high in the south, reminding us that winter is here.  His belt points up to Aldebaran, the eye of Taurus, the Bull.  The Dog Stars Sirius and Procyon are below Orion in the east.  Sirius is the brightest star we ever see at night.  Gemini, the Twins, are to Orion’s left as he rises (and to his upper left once they appear to the south).  Look for two stars of equal brightness less than 5 degrees (three fingers at arms’ length) apart.  These are Castor and Pollux, marking the twins’ heads.  High in the northeast is Capella, the sixth brightest star ever seen at night.  On February and March evenings, look below Sirius and a bit to its right for Canopus, the second brightest star we ever see at night (after Sirius). This star is in the keel (bottom) of the legendary ship Argo.  Canopus is so far south that most Americans never get to see it.  We, however, are far enough to the south that it barely rises for us, remaining low on the southern horizon.  

  Moon Phases in February 2010: