The Moon passes through the outskirts of the Pleiades Cluster tonight. The cluster forms the outline of a small dipper, and is the best-known star cluster in the heavens. But the moonlight makes it tough to see the stars.
Weekly Stargazing Tips
Provided by StarDate.org. Unless otherwise specified, viewing times are local time regardless of time zone, and are good for the entire Lower 48 states (and, generally, for Alaska and Hawaii).
February 23: Moon and Pleiades
February 24: First-Quarter Moon
The Moon is at first quarter today at 6:27 a.m. CST. It aligns at a right angle to the line between Earth and the Sun, so sunlight illuminates half of the lunar hemisphere that faces our way.
February 25: Sirius
The brightest star in the night sky is Sirius, a white jewel in the constellation Canis Major, the big dog. It stands fairly high in the southern sky in early evening. In ancient Egypt, the star represented Isis, the wife of Osiris, the god of the underworld.
February 26: Moon and Jupiter
Jupiter teams up with the Moon and the twins of Gemini tonight. The giant planet looks like a brilliant star below the Moon at nightfall. It's far brighter than any of the true stars. Gemini's twin stars, Castor and Pollux, line up to the lower left of the Moon.
February 27: Moon and Gemini
Pollux and Castor line up to the upper left of the Moon at nightfall. Pollux, the brighter of Gemini's twin stars, is closer to the Moon. The planet Jupiter is farther to the upper right of the Moon. Jupiter outshines all the true stars in the night sky.
February 28: Dubhe
Dubhe, the star at the outer corner of the bowl of the Big Dipper, looks like a single point of light, but it actually consists of at least four stars, which are divided into two pairs.