Highlights of the Night Sky in February
Here are some of the planets, constellations and deep sky objects to see in February:
Orion’s Belt
Aldebaran
Aldebaran, Alpha Tauri, also known as the Eye of Taurus, is an orange giant star located at a distance of 65 light years from Earth. It is the brightest star in Taurus constellation and the 14th brightest star in the night sky. Aldebaran has a luminosity 518 times that of the Sun (153 times in … [Read more…]
Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse, Alpha Orionis, is the second brightest star in Orion constellation and the ninth brightest star in the sky. It is a supergiant star, distinctly red in colour, located at an approximate distance of 643 light years from Earth. It is an evolved star, one expected to explode as a supernova in a relatively near … [Read more…]
Sirius: The Dog Star
Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, α Canis Majoris (Alpha Canis Majoris), or Canicula, is the single brightest star in the night sky.
Orion’s Belt
Orion’s Belt is one of the most familiar asterisms in the night sky, along with the Big Dipper and the Southern Cross. It is formed by three massive, bright stars located in our galaxy, in the direction of the constellation Orion, the Hunter: Alnilam, Alnitak and Mintaka. Two of the three stars are supergiants.
Highlights of the February Sky
Here are some of the planets, constellations and deep sky objects you can see in the night sky in February: 8 PM southeastern sky – Jupiter rising after sunset 11:30 PM eastern sky – Mars rising later in the evening, climbing higher throughout the night 9 PM southern sky – Orion constellation prominent in the … [Read more…]
Horsehead Nebula (Barnard 33)
The Horsehead Nebula is a famous diffuse dark nebula found in the Orion Molecular Cloud Complex in the constellation Orion. It is a dark cloud composed of dust and gas where star formation is taking place. The nebula is also known as Barnard 33, and is located in the emission nebula IC 434. The Horsehead … [Read more…]
The Night Sky in February
The highlights of the night sky in February, from the Hubble Site Channel: 7 PM – Jupiter rising in the southern sky 9 PM – Orion constellation dominating the winter southern sky in the evening; notable for the bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel, the three bright stars that form Orion’s Belt – Alnilam, Alnitak and … [Read more…]