What can you see in the night sky tonight? Find out what’s on view in our monthly stargazing guide.
What’s in the night sky tonight?
Those of us who enjoy stargazing and observing the night sky can’t always plan when and where we’re going to get the chance to gaze upwards.
Busy schedules, light pollution, the weather: sometimes finding even just 30 minutes to stand and stare up at a clear, dark night sky and take in the planets, stars and constellations can be a feat in itself.
So when you do find the time, you’ll need to know what’s visible in the night sky tonight, and the best things to look out for when stargazing.
Complete newcomer? Read our guides to the best telescopes for beginners and astronomy for beginners.
Here’s our stargazing guide to what you can see in the night sky tonight.
Our guide is centred around what’s visible from the UK, but all northern hemisphere observers should be able to use it, with the odd adjustment to stated times.
In our guide, we use Universal Time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST). UT is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. BST is one hour ahead of UT
We also use RA (Right ascension)and dec. (declination).
These coordinates are the night sky’s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial ‘globe’.
For help with these, read our guide to celestial coordinates.
For more advice, read our guide on how to stargaze or sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter for weekly tips delivered directly to your email inbox.
If you’re south of the equator, find out what you can see in the Southern Hemisphere night sky tonight.
What’s in the night sky tonight?
February astronomy highlights
- 7 February: Dark skies for comet 62P/Tsuchinshan
- 14 & 15 February: Waxing crescent Moon near Jupiter (pm)
- 16 February: First quarter Moon south of the Pleiades (pm)
- 17 February: Lunar X and V optimal to view around 00:40 UT
- 22 February: Venus and Mars lie 38-arcminutes apart (dawn)
2024 is a leap year, meaning February contains an extra day. This corrective action ‘mops up’ the accumulated error caused by Earth’s orbit being 365.2564 days long.
The extra quarter-day is ignored for three out of every four years, the fourth year’s leap day cancelling the cumulative offset.
Apart from Jupiter and Uranus, the planets remain poor, generally too close to the Sun to be seen against its glare.
But some of the Moon’s passes next to bright planets are impressive.
On 1 February it’s a star that gets the treatment, Spica (Alpha (α) Virginis) appearing just 1° from the centre of a 65%-lit waning gibbous Moon at dawn.
On 7 February, a 10%-lit waning crescent Moon sits 9.3° southwest of brilliant Venus in the dawn twilight, the altitude of both objects, especially the Moon, low.
The Moon’s pass of Jupiter and Uranus on the evenings of 14 and 15 February is better placed.
On 14 February after darkness falls, a 29%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits 7.2° west of mag. –2.1 Jupiter, with the gap decreasing to 5° just before midnight.
As darkness falls on the following evening, the now 40%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits 7.2° northeast of Jupiter and 4.2° west-northwest of mag. 5.8 Uranus.
The Moon’s eastward motion takes it to 2.4° of Uranus, as measured from the Moon’s centre just before both set around 01:30 UT on 16 February.
Later that evening, using binoculars, place the now first quarter Moon (50%-lit) at the bottom of your field of view and you’ll see the Pleiades above it.
Orion, the Hunter remains prominent in the February night sky, its pattern useful for navigating.
Follow Orion’s Belt southeast (down and left from the UK) and you’ll arrive at the brightest night star, Sirius (Alpha (α) Canis Majoris).
This dazzling beacon is the alpha star of Canis Major, the Great Dog, and is often referred to as the Dog Star.
It has a white dwarf companion, known as the Pup Star (Sirius B), which has a mutual 50-year orbit with Sirius A, the name given to the bright component visible to the naked eye.
Night sky in February 2024, night-by-night
Thursday 1 February
As dawn breaks, the 56%-lit waning gibbous Moon’s centre appears 1.5° from the bright star Spica (Alpha (α) Virginis).
Sunday 4 February
This evening, ninth-magnitude comet 144P/Kushida lies just north of Gamma (γ) Tauri as it enters the V-shaped pattern of the Hyades open cluster.
Monday 1 February
This morning’s low 26%-lit waning crescent Moon shows favourable libration for the western limb. This provides an opportunity to spot the 171km libration zone crater Einstein, with its large 50km central crater, Einstein A.
Tuesday 6 February
Comet 144P/Kushida is approaching double star Theta (θ) Tauri within the Hyades open cluster. Closest approach is on 7/8 February.
Wednesday 7 February
A very low and tricky 10%-lit waning crescent Moon sits 9.3° to the southwest of mag. –3.9 Venus.
Friday 9 February
On the nights of 9/10 and 10/11 February, mag. +9.3 comet 144P/Kushida sits very close to the star Aldebaran (Alpha (α) Tauri) in Taurus.
Monday 12 February
The Cancer–Hydra border rises high in the sky in the approach to midnight, with no Moon to spoil the view – a chance to spot familiar targets like M67, together with some tougher finds.
Wednesday 14 February
The waxing crescent Moon pays mag. –2.1 Jupiter a visit on the evenings of 14 and 15 February.
Thursday 15 February
The 42%-lit waxing crescent Moon sits 3° northwest of mag. +5.8 Uranus at 22:30 UT, the separation closing to 2.5° as they approach setting on 16 February.
Friday 16 February
Lunar libration brings eastern limb features into view such as Mare Smythii and Mare Marginis.
The 52%-lit first quarter Moon sits 1° south of the centre of the Pleiades at 20:00 UT.
Saturday 17 February
The popular clair-obscur effects known as the Lunar X and V are optimal for viewing at 00:40 UT.
Sunday 18 February
Lunar libration currently favours the Moon’s south and southeast limb.
Monday 19 February
Catch a view of today’s 79%-lit waxing gibbous Moon during daylight hours and you should be able to see the Jewelled Handle clair-obscur effect. It’s optimal around 15:50 UT.
Tuesday 20 February
Lunar libration currently favours the Moon’s southern polar region. Craters like 106km-diameter Amundsen are currently visible.
Thursday 22 February
Venus appears 38 arcseconds north of Mars. If you have a very flat southeast horizon, you may be able to spot mag. +1.3 Mars and mag. –3.8 Venus together, but the bright dawn twilight won’t make it easy.
Sunday 25 February
The less common lunar clair-obscur effect known as the Zeno Steps can be seen near the Moon’s northeast limb this evening, optimal around 20:00 UT. It looks like a set of steps near the 65km crater Zeno.