Moon and Jupiter on January 30, 2012. Image via EarthSky Facebook friend Dak Nam

Evening planets February 2012: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn (late night), Mercury (late February)

Favorite photos of moon and Venus

Venus blazes like a lighthouse in the west at dusk in February 2012, as seen from all parts of Earth. In fact, all through February 2012, Venus and Jupiter – the sky’s two most brilliant planets – are the first “stars” to pop out at evening dusk, with Venus being the lower planet and Jupiter the higher.

Just be sure to catch Venus soon after the sun goes down. At mid-northern latitudes, this world follows the sun beneath the western horizon about three and one-half hours after sunset in early February, and nearly four hours after sunset by the month’s end. Day by day, you’ll be able to watch Venus climb a little higher into the evening sky and to stay out later after dark. It’ll be at its highest above the sunset in March 2012, when Jupiter and Venus will stage an amazing conjunction in the western twilight sky.

Best Jupiter-Venus conjunction in year in mid-march 2012

An imaginary line drawn from Jupiter through Venus shows you the moon and Mercury on Friday, February 24

Use the moon to verify that you’ve found Venus in late February 2012, as the thin lunar crescent passes close to Venus on the evenings of February 24 and 25 and 26. Best yet, Mercury will be returning to the evening sky in this part of February, so you can draw an imaginary line from Jupiter through Venus to locate Mercury near the horizon about 45 to 75 minutes after sunset. We tell you more about Mercury below.

Jupiter is high in the southwest on February 2012 evenings, staying out about three and one-half hours after Venus sets. But Venus is climbing upward from the sunset while Jupiter is falling sunward. By the end of the month, Jupiter will set only about one hour after Venus does. And as Jupiter sets in the west, look for Saturn to rise in the east.

Jupiter and its moons as seen on August 15, 2009. From left to right, these moons are Europa, Ganymede, Io and Callisto.

Even on a moonlit night, it’s pretty easy to see Jupiter’s four largest moons with a backyard telescope. In their outward order from Jupiter, these moons are Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. However, the positions of Jupiter’s moons – as seen from Earth – vary from night to night. Sometimes, a moon may be “missing” because it’s in front of or behind Jupiter. If you want to know which moon is which at a certain date and time, check out this handy almanac.

Jupiter photo credit: Velo Steve

Mars is rising in the east at mid-evening in early February 2012 Mars is the other planet that will “wow” you on these February evenings. In early February, this ruddy world rises in the east around 8 to 9 p.m. local time – or at about the same time that Venus sets in the west. By mid-month, look for Mars to rise at nightfall. And at the end of the month, watch for Mars to rise around sunset and to shine all night long. It is now gearing up for its opposition to the sun in early March 2012. Mars will become extremely noticeable in our sky in February – more noticeable than it’s been for the last two years. Very exciting!

Excitement is beginning to build as Mars brightens in our sky. Mars started to retrograde (move westward) toward the star Regulus in the constellation Leo on January 24. That happens whenever Earth is about to pass between the sun and Mars, which we will do on March 3, 2012. Mars has been brightening ever since retrograde motion began. Mars is now one of the brightest “stars” in the nighttime sky.

In early March 2012 – just as Venus and Jupiter are gearing up for their spectacular conjunction – Earth will pass between the sun and Mars. Mars will come closest to Earth for this two-year period and shine most brightly in our sky. This is the wonderful Martian opposition. Although this 2012 opposition will be a rather distant one for Mars, any Martian opposition is a grand event. It’s when we remember why we love this planet! So be sure to watch for Mars.

Moon and Mars rising in the east at mid-evening on Thursday, February 9

Use the moon to find Mars, for several nights centered on February 9. Mars shines in front of the constellation Leo the Lion, but easily outshines the Lion’s brightest star, Regulus. You can also distinguish Mars from Regulus by color. Mars glowers in a ruddy hue while Regulus sparkles blue-white. The moon will be shining close to the star Regulus on February 8, and Mars on February 9.

Use the moon to find Mars, now nearly at its best, on February 9

Saturn rises in the east around midnight in early February 2012 at mid-northern latitudes. By the end of the month, Saturn is rising around 10 p.m. If you have a level horizon east and west, you can see Jupiter sitting low in the west as Saturn is rising in the east. Saturn appears highest in the sky at or near dawn in early February and about 3 a.m. by the month’s end.

Give me 5 minutes, and I’ll give you Saturn in 2012

Moon, Saturn and Spica late evening on Saturday, February 11

Saturn isn’t as dazzling as Venus or Jupiter. It’s not as exciting as Mars or Mercury. It’s the least conspicuous of the visible planets. In fact, early stargazers used to call Saturn “the oldest of the old sheep.” Thank goodness Saturn is fairly close to Virgo’s brightest star, Spica now. If you see two bright objects close together on the sky’s dome, one of them might be Saturn!

Use the moon to be sure you’ve identified Saturn and to see the beautiful pairing of the waning gibbous moon with Saturn and Spica at late night on February 11 or before dawn on February 12.

Moon, Saturn, Spica rise in late evening on February 11

Using Jupiter and Venus to find Mercury on Thursday, February 23

Mercury will be visible in west after sunset during the last week of February 2012. Look for this innermost world in our sun’s family near the sunset point on the horizon about 45 to 75 minutes after sunset. See if you can catch the thin waxing crescent moon by Mercury after sunset on February 22 and 23, and try drawing an imaginary line from Jupiter through Venus to locate Mercury by the horizon during the last week of February.

Morning planets in February 2012: Mars and Saturn

Although Mars appears in the evening sky and Saturn at late evening, these two worlds light up the morning hours after midnight and all the way till dawn throughout February 2012.

Bottom line: Excitement is building with respect to planets in Earth’s sky. Jupiter and Venus are edging toward a spectacular conjunction in March 2012. Mars is getting bright and will join up with Jupiter and Venus as soon as darkness falls in late February! This month, three planets – Venus, Jupiter and mars – conspicuously stage themselves in the February 2012 evening sky, while Saturn more modestly displays itself in the predawn hours. Mercury, the shyest of the five visible planets, will put on a good showing after sunset during the last week of February.