February 2023 Celestial Events

  •  February 1 – Green Comets Closest Approach to Earth
  • *February 5 – Full Moon
  •  February 8 – Centurion Meteor Shower Peaks (Southern Hemisphere)
  • ​*February 20 – New Moon
  • *As seen on seasky.org

February starts us off right with the comet-c-2022-e3-ztf (aka the green comet) and its closest approach to Earth on Feb 1st!!  With the help of a telescope it has already been visible but now it should also be visible to the naked eye if you are in the right dark sky conditions. It will remain visible through mid-February!  Check out how to see the approach to earth over at Space.com

The February Full Moon, also known as the Snow Moon.  Per Almanac.com, it reaches peak illumination around 1:30 p.m. EST.  Since it will be below the horizon line at this time it’s best to catch this moon the night before or as it’s rising on February 5th.  Check the Moon Calculator for the exact time of this Full Moon’s arrival in your area.  

The Southern Hemisphere gets a meteor shower treat as the Centaurid Meteor shower peaks on February 8th.  Keep your eyes on the constellation Centarus any time after it’s above the horizon line.

With no moonlight to interfere, the New Moon on February 20th is the best night to view faint objects such as star clusters and galaxies in the night sky.  

Check out the full February Newsletter here.

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