February Night Sky Guide: Stars, Constellations and the Milky Way

The month of February is a great month to go stargazing because of the huge amount of stars that are visible. Just be sure to prepare yourself for the winter elements that will be the only disadvantage to your February night sky viewing. The following can be used as a guide to find the highlights in the night sky during the month of February.

Markers and Viewing Help

To make it easier to find and locate stars and constellations in the sky I use my fist as a guide to approximate the distance between different objects.

A marker that is easy to find in the night sky is the Winter Triangle made up of three stars. Sirius, the brightest of the three is also the brightest in the night sky. To find Sirius look directly South and the brightest twinkling object will be Sirius. Betelgeuse will be the next brightest star in the sky and above and to the right of Sirius, it also makes up the left star of the rectangle in Orion. To the left of Betelgeuse is the last star of the Winter Triangle called Procyon.

Orion, the constellation, can also be used as a marker in the night sky during February. Wherever you are standing look straight overhead and then directly South, halfway between the horizon and the point of the sky directly overhead you will notice a distinct band of three stars. These three stars make up the belt of Orion, four stars form a rectangle around the belt and are the appendages of Orion, the Hunter. Consult a picture of the constellation to help you better be able to identify Orion.

Constellations