No matter whether you’re an amateur astronomer, student, or person with a curious mind, you may be wondering which constellations may be visible and bright come February?
Continue reading to discover more about which constellations are visible in February, how these constellations may appear, their myths, locations and more.
Constellations For February: Summary
The magnificent winter constellations of Canis Major, Canis Minor, Gemini, Taurus, and Auriga are prominent in the February evening sky. Many people believe that the brilliant stars are due to the cold, crisp air the North experiences this time of year, but in actuality, the winter skies look brighter because there are just more bright stars than in other seasons.
Canis Major
Canis Major is regarded as one of the 48 constellations that Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer, first catalogued in the second century. Its Latin name translates to “bigger dog.”
Canis Major is considered the bigger of Orion’s two hunting hounds who follow him while he hunts the rabbit Lepus.
It’s an ancient constellation with many diverse cultural interpretations.
It was viewed as an arrow aimed at Orion by the ancient Babylonians, with the bow being made up of stars from Puppis.
The large dog constellation Canis Major can mostly be seen from the Southern hemisphere of the sky.
However, it may be viewed in the northern hemisphere from December to March in 60 to -90 degrees latitudes.
Canis Major is a moderate to mid-sized constellation with a 380 square degree area and is considered the 43rd largest of the 88 constellations in the night sky.
The brilliant star Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, is found in Canis Major.
Sirius is a binary star system located only 8.6 light-years from Earth.
As a result, it is the sixth most distant star system from ours.
Canis Minor
In the northern hemisphere, Canis Minor is a tiny constellation.
Its Latin name means “smaller dog” or “lesser dog.”
The constellation depicts one of the hounds following Orion, the hunter in Greek mythology.
The bigger adjacent constellation Canis Major represents the other dog.
In the second century, Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer, was the first to map both constellations.
Canis Minor’s significant features include Luyten’s Star, Procyon, and the spiral galaxy NGC 2485.
With an area of 183 square degrees, Canis Minor is ranked 71st in most prominent constellations and may be observed in latitudes between +90° and -75° in the northern hemisphere’s second quarter.
Cancer, Hydra, Gemini, and Monoceros are the constellations nearby.
Gemini
From November through April, the “twins” or Gemini may be seen in the northern hemisphere in latitudes ranging from 90 degrees to -60 degrees.
Gemini is one of the zodiac’s thirteen constellations.
It is a medium-sized constellation with an area of 514 square degrees, ranking 30th out of 88 in terms of size in the night sky.
A number of well-known deep-sky objects may also be located in Gemini.
Among these are the planetary nebulae NGC 2392 and the Medusa Nebula, as well as the galactic supernova remnant IC 443, also known as the Jellyfish Nebula.
The Gemini constellation is formed by Taurus to the west and Cancer to the east, Auriga and Lynx to the north, and Monoceros and Canis Minor to the south.
Gemini is one of the 88 constellations that make up the night sky.
However, because the sky is not split evenly among the constellations, Gemini takes up 513.761 square degrees of the night sky, or 1.25 percent of the whole sky.
Gemini is thus the night sky’s 30th biggest constellation in terms of size.
In general, Gemini is a lesser-known zodiac sign.
Nonetheless, the heads of the Gemini constellation are marked by two brilliant stars, Pollux and Castor, making it simple to detect on a clear night.
Taurus
Taurus is a bright constellation in the northern sky in February.
Its Latin name means “bull” since the constellation is represented by the head of a bull.
It is among the most ancient stars in the sky, with roots dating back to the Bronze Age.
Taurus is also the 17th most visible constellation in the sky, measuring 797 square degrees.
It is also one of the 15 constellations seen from the equator and from the Northern hemisphere at latitudes ranging from +90° to -65°.
Taurus is also one of the 12 zodiac constellations, originally catalogued by Greek scientist Claudius Ptolemy in the 2nd century CE.
The constellation is linked to Zeus in Greek mythology, who changed himself into a bull in order to approach Europa and abduct her.
Auriga
Due to its circumpolar character, the charioteer constellation Auriga may be visible most of the year at northern latitudes.
It is a medium-sized constellation that occupies 657 square degrees of the sky and is visible at latitudes between 90 and -40 degrees.
The galactic anticenter, which is located in the constellation Auriga, is a hypothesized place in the sky that is precisely opposite the Milky Way Galaxy’s centre.
The Milky Way’s centre is 180 degrees away in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
Auriga is one of the 48 constellations initially recorded in the second century by the Greek astronomer Ptolemy.
Since it is an ancient constellation with origins in many civilizations, the name means “charioteer” in Latin.
Auriga was initially known as a scimitar or crook in Mesopotamia.
The crook represented a goatherd or shepherd.
On the other hand, the constellation was thought to symbolize a herd of goats by ancient Bedouin astronomers.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the Canis Major, Canis Minor, Gemini, Taurus, and Auriga are the top five most conspicuous constellations to observe in February.
While many people mistakenly assume that the magnificent stars are due to the cool, crisp air this time of year, the North’s winter sky appears brighter because there are just more bright stars than in other seasons.
Whether you’re an amateur astronomer, a student, or just someone with a curious mind, don’t miss your chance to see constellations you would otherwise miss for the rest of the year this February.
You might also like:
- Constellations For January
- Constellations For February
- Constellations For March
- Constellations For April
- Constellations For May
- Constellations For June
- Constellations For July
- Constellations For August
- Constellations For September
- Constellations For October
- Constellations For November
- Constellations For December
