![]() ![]() ![]() Then spot Elnath on Auriga’s opposite side and from there it’s pretty easy to identify the other stars that round out the shape of the charioteer constellation.Īll month long, observers with access to a good pair of binoculars or a small telescope can hunt for two easy star clusters using the brightest star in the sky as a guidepost. From Orion, look northward twice the height of Orion, to find Capella. Credit: NASA/JPL-CaltechĪuriga appears high in the western sky on February evenings, and it’s relatively easy to find, thanks to Capella and Elnath. Just look northward twice the height of Orion to find Capella. This sky chart shows how to locate Capella, in order to identify the constellation Auriga. Technically it’s part of Taurus next door, but it helps define the roughly circular shape of Auriga. Opposite Capella toward the south is the bright star Elnath. All month – Use the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, in order to find your way to two easy-to-locate star clusters, M41 and M47, using binoculars.From Orion, look northward twice Orion’s height to find Capella. ![]() All month – Locate the charioteer constellation, Auriga, by finding your way to its brightest star Capella.February 27 – Find the Moon and Mars high in the southwest after sunset, where they will appear less than a degree apart.February 22 – The crescent Moon sits just a degree apart from Jupiter in the western sky, with Venus hanging beneath them.The two planets appear closer together each evening, as they head for a conjunction on March 1. All month – Jupiter and Venus are visible in the west after sunset.What to look for in February: Planets gather, the charioteer, and “Sirius” star clusters! Venus and Jupiter cozy up, the constellation Auriga makes a worthy target, and two star clusters you can find using Sirius and a pair of binoculars. ![]()
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