February is ‘a month of bright planets,’ NASA says in new skywatching update

The moon has “many engagements” with the planets in February, NASA said in its monthly update on what to look out for in the night sky.

Throughout February, so long as clear nights prevail, you’ll be able to see the moon in the night sky along with many of our solar system’s planets.

The easiest to spot is Venus, looking brilliant in the west after sunset. “February is a month for love, so what better time to spotlight Venus, which is associated with the Roman goddess of love?” NASA said in its latest skywatching video (above).

You can also spot a bright Jupiter in the evenings, as well as Mars, identifiable by its amber-orange color.

“Find the nearly full moon in the east tonight after dark, about three finger widths below reddish Mars,” NASA said. “Bright stars Pollux and Castor in Gemini are just to its north.”

Somewhat faint, but visible low in the west for the first hour after sunset, and increasingly lower as the month goes on, is Saturn.

And be sure to look out for Mercury, too. By late February, Mercury will be visible about 20 minutes after sunset, positioned about 3 degrees up from the horizon. On February 24, the planet will be particularly easy to spot, appearing bright and close to Saturn, with Mercury shining about eight times brighter than Saturn.

Venus, Jupiter, and Mars can be easily spotted with the naked eye, though a pair of binoculars or a telescope will of course give you an even better view.

Binoculars or a telescope are recommended for Mercury and Saturn, though on a clear night, and away from light pollution, both of these planets will be visible to the naked eye, too.

Want a really close-up look at Mercury? Then check out these stunning images captured during a recently flyby of the planet by the European Space Agency’s BepiColombo spacecraft.