February 2022 Night Sky Happenings

Written by “Astro” Bob King

Our “Night Sky Explorer” series with “Astro” Bob King is back, and this time we have a handy guide for you to check out the best night sky events each month. Whether you’re new to stargazing - or an amateur astronomer - you can connect with the scientific and cultural history of our dark skies.

February 2022 Night Sky Happenings

Jupiter is the sole bright evening planet visible low in the southwestern sky at dusk this month. The moon will help you find it on 2nd , when it passes just a few degrees below the giant planet in conjunction. Meanwhile, Venus rules the dawn sky and shines at its brightest of the year on the 12th . Through a small telescope the inner planet will look exactly like a miniature version of the crescent moon. Mars, some 300 times fainter than Venus, will be in conjunction with it on the 13th . Look low in the southeastern sky about an hour before sunrise for the pair. Mercury will also be nearby — about one outstretched “fist” to the lower left of Venus and close to the horizon.

Events:

Feb. 1-6— International Space Station makes passes in the evening sky. For details

on times and directions, see heavens-above.com

Feb. 2 — Conjunction of Jupiter and the thin crescent moon at dusk

Feb. 8 — First quarter moon

Feb. 9-15 — Mercury appears very low in the southeastern sky at dawn about a

fist to the lower left of Venus.

Feb. 12 — Venus at greatest brilliancy

Feb. 13 — Venus-Mars conjunction low in the southeastern sky at dawn. Much

fainter Mars appears 7° below Venus. The two will be near each other for a week.

Feb. 16 — Full Snow Moon

Feb. 23 — Last quarter moon

Download a free, monthly star map at skymaps.com

Bob King is an amateur astronomer, author, and passionate educator. He served as a photographer and photo editor at the Duluth News Tribune for 39 years and taught at the UMD planetarium. Bob’s work had a great impact on Voyageurs National Park. To achieve International Dark Sky Park certification, the park was required to host dark sky education events. Through the Night Sky Explorer webinars, the Conservancy was able to fulfill this component and help secure the certification for Voyageurs National Park. We can’t thank Bob King enough for sharing his talents and knowledge with the Conservancy community to support dark sky preservation.