Astroblog: February skies 2026

Overview:

 Moon:

Sky trying North-west on Tuesday February 24 as seen from Adelaide at 20:56 ACDST (60 minutes after sundown, click on to embiggen). 

The First Quarter Moon is clearly seen above the horizon near he Pleiades cluster. the Lunar X and V might bee seen in a telescope or robust binoculars. The insets present the telescopic and binocular views presently. 

Related views will likely be seen from the remainder of Australia at roughly the equal native time (60 minutes after sundown). 

Stars:

North western sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:41 ACDST (90 minutes after sundown). Related views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sundown. The inset is the binocular view of the Pleides and Uranus presently (click on to embiggen)	Southern sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:41 ACDST (90 minutes after sundown). Related views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes after sundown. Theta Carina is indicated by the circle, The inset is the binocular view of the the Southern Pleiades and Theta Carina  at this time (click on to embiggen)

February nights see the summer time constellations of Taurus the Bull, Orion the Hunter and Canis main (Orion’s searching canine) slip into the north-western sky.

Orion remains to be seen,  as are the Pleiades, an in depth grouping of six stars.   A line drawn westward by Betelgeuse, the pink star that kinds the shoulder of Orion, and Aldebaran brings you to the Pleiades.

Though faint, the Pleiades is fairly to the unaided eye, and pleasant in binoculars. In case you’re lucky sufficient to have an honest telescope, you’ll have the ability to see a touch of the nebulous cloud that makes pictures of this cluster an astronomical icon. 

The Pleiades is also referred to as the Seven Sisters in European tradition.  Apparently, many Indigenous Australian teams additionally noticed the cluster as girls. The Boorong folks of north-western Victoria known as it Larnankurrk and described it as a gaggle of ladies watching Kulkunbulla (the 2 dancing youths represented by the Saucepan of Orion’s belt).   Nonetheless, the folks of the Lake Albert space noticed the Pleiades as a clutch of turkey eggs.

In February, you too can see a constellation known as the “Southern Pleiades” (it’s solely seen within the southern hemisphere).  It’s loads much less apparent to the unaided eye than the Pleiades themselves, however is actually stunning in binoculars or a small telescope.  It’s made up of a cluster of stars round theta Carina, which additionally glories within the identify Vathorz Posterior.

To seek out this small gem, search for from Acrux, the brightest star within the Southern Cross. The second vivid star you come to is surrounded by a halo of dim stars, that is the Southern Pleiades. 
You may simply see the Pleiades and the Southern Pleiades from round an hour after sundown as they emerge from the twilight.

 Because the night time progresses the Pleiades sink into the west. In distinction, the Southern Pleiades rise greater above the southern horizon as February progresses however they may change into tougher to see attributable to moonlight.  

Mira:

North western sky as seen from Adelaide at 21:41 ACDST (90 minutes after
sundown). Related views will been seen elsewhere in Australia 90 minutes
after sundown. The variable star Mira is above the western horizon and indicated by the circle. The inset is the binocular view of the Mira and the 2 apparent stars Zeta and Chi Ceti presently (click on to embiggen)

 
The variable star Mira (omicron Ceti) ought to begin to brighten in February, rising from beneath unaided eye visibility to round magnitude 4 earlier than peaking in March at round magnitude 3. It will likely be seen low above the western horizon when the sky is absolutely darkish. 

Labels: binoculars, Month-to-month sky, unaided eye

# posted by Ian Musgrave @ 7:27 pm