What You Can See In The Night Sky This Week

Each Monday I choose the northern hemisphere’s celestial highlights (mid-northern latitudes) for the week ahead, however make certain to examine my primary feed for more thorough posts on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.

What To Expect In The Night Sky Today: February 15-21, 2021

Follow the Moon today and it will take you to a few of the winter season night sky’s most lovely sights– including itself. After checking out Uranus and Mars, our natural satellite in area will cross a background of the Pleiades and the Hyades star clusters within the constellation Taurus.

That’s possibly the most appealing area of the night sky at this time of year, and the existence of the Moon near these clusters and worlds will produce an appealing scene for naked eye stargazers.

Wednesday, February 17, 2021: Moon near Uranus, lines up with Mars and Pleiades

The seventh world from the Sun is definitely not a simple world to see with the unaided eye, however this is actually excellent chance to try.

Tonight it lies 3º north of the Moon in the constellation of Aries, lining up with Mars and the luminescent tangle of stars called the “7 Siblings” stars, an open cluster of hot young blue stars likewise referred to as the Pleiades and M45

Thursday, February 18, 2021: Moon near Mars

Tonight a 42%- lit waxing Moon– one day from its Very first Quarter stage– will pass 3.7 º from Mars at night sky. The “finest” time to see them from The United States and Canada will be 9:49 p.m. EST, when the 2 worlds will seem at their closest.

Friday, February 19, 2021: Moon, Mars and the Pleiades

The red world Mars and a Very first Quarter Moon will this evening form a loose triangle with the Pleiades.

Saturday, February 20, 2021: Return of Jupiter and Mercury, Moon near Aldebaran

After a journey into the Sun’s glare after investing much of 2020 shining vibrantly at night sky, Jupiter will today reappear as a pre-dawn early morning things noticeable to naked eyes, in addition to Mercury.

After the Sun sets, a 62%- lit Moon will pass 5 ° from Aldebaran, the brightest star in the constellation of Taurus, the bull. This rusty-red star about 65 light-years far-off is the thirteenth brightest star in the night sky.

Constellation of the week: Lepus, the bunny

You understood the constellation of Orion, however have you ever looked below it? Noticeable late during the night as Orion increases greater in the sky, Lepus can be discovered right away beneath its more popular next-door neighbor. Look in between intense star Rigel in Orion and extremely intense star Sirius left wing and you’ll discover the shape of a bunny.

Times and dates offered use to mid-northern latitudes. For the most precise location-specific details speak with online planetariums like Stellarium and The Sky Live Inspect planet-rise/planet-set, sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times for where you are.

Wanting you clear skies and large eyes.