northern sky

Here is a view of the night sky as seen from mid-southern latitudes such as Sydney (-33d 52m) in mid February, 2008, at 10pm. Imagine holding it over your head so that the centre of the chart is the zenith and the edge runs all the way around your horizon.
The month begins with a beautiful conjunction between the bright planets Venus and Jupiter. They are actually closest on February 1, less than one degree apart but the spectacle will be enhanced when the crescent Moon comes close on February 4.
Mars is still bright but low in the evening sky in Taurus although a few weeks after its peak. Read up on the Red Planet in our new Guide to Mars. Another bright planet Saturn is now visible throughout the night in Leo.
A total eclipse of the Moon occurs on the night of February 20-21. The entire event is visible from South America, most of North America, Western Europe, Africa, and western Asia. The Moon enters the dark umbral shadow at 1.43 UT and leaves it at 05.09 UT. Totality lasts from 03.01 to 03.51 UT.
The sky will appear much the same from other cities at similar latitudes, such as Perth, Wellington, or Johannesburg at around 10pm local time. The sky appears the same at the start of the month an hour later and at the end of the month an hour earlier.
If you want to check out the sky as seen from the northern hemisphere, click here or on the image, right



Screenshot from Stargazer's Delight (www.stargazersoft.com). To produce an image of the sky for your particular locality at any time of the day or night, we recommend you visit Sky View Cafe.