In this guide we'll reveal what you can see in the night sky tonight, and throughout the month.
Those of us who enjoy stargazing and observing the night sky can't always plan when and where we're going to get the chance to gaze upwards.
Busy schedules, light pollution, the weather: sometimes finding even just 30 minutes to stand and stare up at a clear, dark night sky and take in the planets, stars and constellations can be a feat in itself.
So when you do find the time, you'll need to know what's visible in the night sky tonight, and the best things to look out for when stargazing.
Complete newcomer? Read our guides to the best telescopes for beginners and astronomy for beginners.
Here's our stargazing guide to what you can see in the night sky tonight.
Our guide is centred around what's visible from the UK, but all northern hemisphere observers should be able to use it, with the odd adjustment to stated times.
In our guide, we use Universal Time (UT) and British Summer Time (BST). UT is the standard time used by astronomers around the world. BST is one hour ahead of UT
We also use RA (Right ascension)and dec. (declination).
These coordinates are the night sky’s equivalent of longitude and latitude, describing where an object is on the celestial ‘globe’.
For help with these, read our guide to celestial coordinates.
For more advice, read our guide on how to stargaze or sign up to receive the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter for weekly tips delivered directly to your email inbox.
If you're south of the equator, find out what you can see in the Southern Hemisphere night sky tonight.
What's in the night sky tonight?
February astronomy highlights
- 1 February: Venus near the 13%-lit waxing crescent Moon (evening)
- 7 February: Jupiter near the crescent Moon before setting (morning)
- 8 February: Callisto 3 arcseconds from Jupiter’s southern limb (19:08 UT)
- 9 February: Mars very close to the Moon’s southern limb (evening)
- 24 February: Titan and its shadow transit Saturn (12:28-18:50 UT)
You can find out more about what the planets are doing with our guide to the planets in February and visible planets month-by-month.
Constellations
February’s night sky showcases the best of the winter constellations in the early evening together with a flavour of spring later in the night, the difference between the two skies being quite marked.
Orion
Winter’s sky is dominated by Orion, the Hunter, its seven brightest stars forming a very distinctive pattern with the three unmissable belt stars at its centre.
Of similar brightness, the belt stars are arranged equally spaced in a straight line. Hanging south of the belt is the hunter’s sword, one of the most viewed regions of the night sky.
This is due to the presence of the magnificent and bright Orion Nebula M42, along with several other clusters and patches of nebulosity.
The main nebula is full of wispy detail and rewards whatever instrument you use to view it. Located at a distance of 1,344 lightyears, this is an example of an emission nebula.
Visible through a small telescope, the four brightest stars in the cluster give it its informal name of the Trapezium Cluster. With more than four stars here, see how many you can pick out.
Winter Triangle
Extend the line of Orion’s belt southeast (down and left from the UK) to arrive at the brilliant star Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky (Alpha (α) Canis Majoris) in Canis Major, the Great Dog.
Head north-northeast from Sirius until you arrive at the first bright star in this direction, Procyon (Alpha (α) Canis Minoris) in Canis Minor, the Little Dog.
Join the dots between Sirius, Procyon and Betelgeuse (Alpha (α) Orionis) in the northeast corner of Orion and you’ll have drawn an asterism known as the Winter Triangle.
The region around Orion is rich in deep-sky objects due to the presence of the winter Milky Way running down the eastern side of hunter.
As it does so, it passes through the Winter Triangle and the faint constellation of Monoceros, the Unicorn.
Monoceros
Monoceros has a multitude of local deep sky treasures to find including the Rosette Nebula (NGCs 2237-39 and 2246) and the associated cluster NGC 2244, which is all you can see unless you have dark skies and the use of a nebula filter.
It’s also the home of the complex region which includes the Christmas Tree Cluster (NGC 2264), Fox Fur Nebula (Sharpless 273) and Cone Nebula (part of NGC 2264), all located on the tip of the Unicorn’s horn.
Gemini, Cancer, Leo
The Milky Way’s influence continues as you head north into the feet of Gemini, the Twins. Here, you’ll find the beautiful and underrated open cluster M35 near the foot of Castor.
Mag. +5.1 M35 is a superb object to view through a small telescope with a smaller, more distant ninth magnitude cluster NGC 2158 24-arcminutes to the southwest.
Keep heading north from M35 towards bright yellow Capella (Alpha (α) Aurigae) in Auriga, the Charioteer and you’ll be passing through the region containing three additional Messier clusters; M37, M36 and M38, arrived at in that order.
The spring constellations lie further to the east, beginning with the faint inverted-Y of Cancer, the Crab followed by the more defined form of Leo, the Lion.
However, the absence of Milky Way in this general direction really shows, with the stars and patterns on view having a more subtle appearance than the bright, vibrant stars of winter that surround Orion.
Night sky in February 2025, night-by-night
Friday 31 January
Starting at 13:22 UT, there’s a challenging daylight partial occultation of Titan by Saturn’s northern limb.
While partially occulted, Titan enters Saturn’s shadow at 14:33 UT, reappearing at 19:43 UT while at low altitude.
Saturday 1 February
Venus, Saturn and Neptune are in the same evening twilight area of the sky, this evening joined by a 12%-lit waxing crescent Moon. You’ll need binoculars to spot dim Neptune.
Tuesday 4 February
Jupiter’s largest moon, Ganymede, can be seen transiting the planet from 01:51 UT until Jupiter sets at 04:04 UT.
Wednesday 5 February
This evening, the centre of the 55%-lit waxing gibbous Moon sits 4.1° north of mag. +5.7 Uranus.
The Stars of Aristillus lunar clair-obscur effect can be seen around 22:45 UT.
Thursday 6 February
Libration currently favours the southeast region of the Moon, where you’ll find a cluster of dark lava-filled craters, such as 141km Lyot, 73km Oken and 79km Jeans, right on the edge.
Friday 7 February
At around 02:45 UT today, the centre of the 69%-lit waxing gibbous Moon sits 4.8° north of mag. –2.3 Jupiter as both objects approach the northwest horizon.
Saturday 8 February
Callisto sits 3 arcseconds south of Jupiter’s southern pole at 19:08 UT.
Although hard to observe in daylight, Titan transits Saturn from 12:48 until 16:28 UT, its shadow following at 14:38–20:20 UT.
Sunday 9 February
Viewed from the centre of the UK, mag. –0.8 Mars lies approximately 4.8 arcminutes south of the Moon’s southern edge at 18:57 UT today. For those further north in the UK, the separation will be even smaller.
Monday 10 February
Today, evening planet Venus appears 30% illuminated through the eyepiece. The planet’s apparent diameter is currently 36 arcseconds.
Wednesday 12 February
Minor planet 29 Amphitrite reaches opposition today.
Thursday 13 February
Magnitude +1.3 Regulus (Alpha (α) Leonis) sits 1.2° south of the Moon’s southern edge
at 01:00 UT this morning.
Friday 14 February
There’s a chance to see the Zeno Steps around 04:00 UT today, a lunar clair-obscur effect that resembles a set of steps near the 65km crater Zeno.
Monday 17 February
Today, evening planet Venus appears 25% illuminated through the eyepiece. The planet’s apparent diameter is currently 40 arcseconds.
Thursday 20 February
If it’s clear this evening, with the Moon absent until the early hours, the Beehive Cluster, M44, is well-placed around 23:00 UT. The cluster particularly suits a binocular view.
Saturday 22 February
Evening planet Venus now appears 20% illuminated through the eyepiece, a beautiful and stunning crescent. The planet’s apparent diameter is currently 44 arcseconds.
Monday 24 February
Another tricky Titan-and-shadow transit that starts in daylight, Titan crossing at 12:28–17:55 UT and its shadow following at 13:45–19:45 UT. Saturn sets at around 18:50 UT.
Tuesday 25 February
The shadow of Ganymede transits Jupiter’s disc at 18:35–21:12 UT and the moon Europa keeps pace at the same time. Europa’s shadow transits at 21:00–23:36 UT, while Io undergoes an occultation disappearance at 21:05 UT.
Thursday 27 February
This evening, Venus appears 15% illuminated through the eyepiece with an apparent diameter of 47 arcseconds.
Friday 28 February
There’s a chance to spot a thin Moon this evening as a less than 1%-lit waxing crescent sets 50 minutes after the Sun.
Share your observations and images with us, or send us your astronomy questions to contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
