Best Night Sky Events for Stargazers in February 2015 (Sky Maps)
Mercury, February 2015
Mercury is a "morning star," most favorably placed for observers in the Southern Hemisphere. Maximum elongation from the sun is on the 24th.
Venus, February 2015
Venus is an "evening star" in the southwestern sky just after sunset.
Mars, February 2015
Mars starts the month in Aquarius, moving into Pisces on the 11th. Mars passes Venus within 0.5 degrees on the 21st. Mars is low in the southwestern sky after sunset.
Jupiter, February 2015
Jupiter is in opposition to the sun on Feb. 6, shining brightly all night long. It moves from Leo into Cancer on Feb. 4, where it will remain until June.
Saturn, February 2015
Saturn is just north of Scorpius' "claws," well placed in the morning sky.
Uranus, February 2015
Uranus is low in the western evening sky, setting in mid-evening.
Neptune, February 2015
Neptune is in conjunction with the sun on the 26th, not visible this month.
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Geoff Gaherty was Space.com's Night Sky columnist and in partnership with Starry Night software and a dedicated amateur astronomer who sought to share the wonders of the night sky with the world. Based in Canada, Geoff studied mathematics and physics at McGill University and earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Toronto, all while pursuing a passion for the night sky and serving as an astronomy communicator. He credited a partial solar eclipse observed in 1946 (at age 5) and his 1957 sighting of the Comet Arend-Roland as a teenager for sparking his interest in amateur astronomy. In 2008, Geoff won the Chant Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, an award given to a Canadian amateur astronomer in recognition of their lifetime achievements. Sadly, Geoff passed away July 7, 2016 due to complications from a kidney transplant, but his legacy continues at Starry Night.