On this second month of 2017, keep your binoculars and telescopes close at hand because the February sky is set to give many spectacular treats. From a meteor shower to multiple unique moon positions and an uncommon solar eclipse, sky watchers will be kept busy all throughout the month.
Moon Hides Aldebaran - Feb. 5
Aldebaran is the bright orange star 65 light years away from our sun and can be found in the constellation Taurus. It is the brightest star in its constellation and usually the 14th brightest star in the night sky.
On Feb. 5, however, parts of North Africa, southern Europe, western regions of the Middle East, the Caribbean, northern regions of South America, and across Central America will miss the star for a brief period of time. On that evening, the moon will "pass" so closely to the star that it will seem to vanish from the skies in these areas and reappear about an hour after.
Alpha Centaurid Meteor Shower - Feb. 8
Sky watchers will enjoy a minor meteor shower in the pre-dawn hours of this night. The meteors will appear to come from the Centaurid Constellation, hence the name, and will light up the night sky with about five to 10 meteors an hour.
The Moon And The Beehive - Feb. 9
The Beehive Cluster, or Messier 44, is 600 light years away and is one of the star clusters closest to our solar system. Known also as Praesepe, its stars are still young at about 600 million years old. With more than 1,000 stars, the cluster is a popular target for star gazers for its yellow, green, and blue lights. On this evening, the moon will be positioned closely to the cluster, giving sky watchers a very pretty view.
Lunar Eclipse - Feb. 10
Feb. 10 will witness the moon going into a deep penumbral eclipse as it passes by the shadow cast by the earth. As it does, its bright light will experience a subtle shadow that will be best seen from eastern North America to Central and South America. However, sky watchers from Europe, western Asia and Africa will also be very fortunate as they will witness the entire event.
Zodiacal Lights - Feb. 13
Zodiacal lights are characterized by a triangular shaped faint glow in the sky. At about an hour before sunset, for about two weeks beginning on Feb. 13, sky watchers from the Northern Hemisphere may catch this unique treat. Known also as a "false dawn" due to the beautiful sunlight-like glow on the horizon, this rare glow occurs when the sunlight is reflected by interplanetary dust.
The Moon Beside Jupiter - Feb. 15
The moon, Jupiter and the bright star Spica will give early risers a beautiful treat on this day. Just before the sun rises on the 15th, these three celestial bodies will form a cluster to brighten up the dawn sky.
Annular Solar Eclipse - Feb. 26
To cap the month, a rare solar eclipse will grace the skies. Sky watchers from South America and Africa will get to see a unique annular solar eclipse. This sort of eclipse occurs when the moon passes directly in front of the sun but does not cover it completely. The resulting sight is also called "the ring of fire" because of the ring of sunlight still visible around the moon. The deepest part of the eclipse will last but a minute, but this is only the first of two expected eclipses for 2017.
