Shropshire Sky At Night – February

With a new moon on the 11th it would be a good opportunity to search out those more faint objects, such as galaxies and star clusters, as there is no moonlight to interfere. However as we head towards the full moon on the 27th only the brightest objects will be visible, weather permitting.

February’s full moon is often referred to as the Snow Moon for obvious reasons and since the Native American tribes found hunting difficult at these times, it is also referred to as the Hunger Moon. Between these dates is a good time to explore and get acquainted with many of the Moon's feature. A basic pair of binoculars or a small telescope will reveal a wide variety of hidden gems including the Lunar Seas.

If you are quick, it is possible to catch a glimpse of Mercury in the first couple of days of the month, as it follows the setting sun towards the horizon. You will need a clear view of the horizon and make sure that that the sun has set before sweeping the sky.

The red planet Mars provides planetary observers with the only decent views throughout the month, as it is well placed in the Zodiac constellation of Aries. Zodiac constellations are constellations that lie along the plane of the ecliptic which is the path the sun and planets follow as they pass through them over the course of a year.

January and February are perfect months for observers to view the brightest star in the winter sky, Sirius. As part of the constellation Canis Major (the Greater Dog) Sirius is often known as the Dog Star. It’s easy to spot as it is the brightest point of light in its region of sky.

The image by Shropshire Astronomical Society member Pete Williamson clearly shows how to find it once you have found Orion. Although white to blue-white in colour, Sirius is often called a rainbow star, as it often flickers with many colours. The flickering is due to the light passing through the atmosphere while the colours are especially easy to notice when you spot Sirius low in the sky.

As we head into the heart of winter it is the season of open star clusters, with a whole host of excellent examples on offer.

Open star clusters are young, loosely bound gatherings of stars that may still be surrounded by the nebula – or space cloud – in which they were born.

When viewed through binoculars they appear like jewels spread out on black velvet. The Pleiades, Hyades, and Beehive are well-known examples.

The Pleiades cluster is a wonderful cluster in the constellation of Taurus standing out to the naked eye alone as a fuzzy patch. About six stars can be seen with the unaided eye that resembles a mini plough. Through binoculars, the view explodes into dozens of stars.

The word Pleiades translates to Subaru in Japanese, and you might recognize the grouping of six stars from the car-maker’s logo.

There are many excellent star maps available online and for smart phones.

Steve Szwajkun is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society