Each Monday, I pick out North America’s celestial highlights for the week ahead (which also apply to mid-northern latitudes in the northern hemisphere). Check my main feed for more in-depth articles on stargazing, astronomy, eclipses and more.
The Night Sky This Week: Feb. 10-16, 2025
This week, we are in for a treat with the rise of February’s full moon, the Snow Moon, which this month rises alongside a very bright star. A few days later, a different day, a different bright star, but equally mesmerizing. It’s also a good week to admire the iconic constellation of Orion and its captivating Orion Nebula before they slink off for spring.
Here’s everything you need to know about stargazing and the night sky this week:
Wednesday, Feb. 12: See The Full Snow Moon Rise With Regulus
Get yourself to a place with a good, low view of the eastern horizon at the time of moonrise, where you can watch February’s full moon rise. It will look more prominent than usual and be a beautiful, muted orange. Look to its right as it rises above the horizon, and you’ll spot Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo. It’s one of the four bright stars often closely visited by the moon.
Sunday, Feb. 16: A Waning Gibbous Moon With Spica
Here’s a super-close conjunction that you don’t want to miss. You’ll need to be outside looking east about an hour before midnight for the arrival on the horizon of an 81%-lit waning gibbous moon. Look below the moon, and you’ll see a bright star about a third of a degree below the lunar limb. That’s Spica, the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, one of the four bright stars regularly visited by the moon from our point of view on Earth. Spica is about 250 light-years distant.
Constellation of The Week: Orion
In February, the constellation Orion, “the hunter,” dominates the night sky. First, find the three prominent stars that form Orion’s Belt: Alnitak, Alnilam, and Mintaka. Then, look to its left to see its brightest star, Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star marking Orion’s shoulder. On the other side of the belt stars is bluish Rigel, a hot blue supergiant, representing Orion’s foot.
Within Orion, just below the belt stars, is the Orion Nebula (M42). This misty patch is the closest region to the solar system where massive stars are being formed.
The times and dates given apply to mid-northern latitudes. For the most accurate location-specific information, consult online planetariums like Stellarium.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.