February 2023 – Astronomy Now

Venus and Jupiter’s spectacular early-evening coming-together

27 February 2023 Mark Armstrong

Venus and Jupiter are a marvellous sight soon after sunset on 1 March, when they lie just over a full Moon’s diameter apart. .

Track down a trio of great double stars

27 February 2023 Steve Kelly

Double and multiple stars are well represented in the late-winter sky. Here’s three great examples to enjoy through a small telescope.

Webb images M92, one of the Milky Way’s oldest globular clusters

23 February 2023 Astronomy Now

The James Webb Space Telescope provides a powerful new tool – the ability to image cool, low-mass stars in globular clusters like the familiar M92.

Hubble captures a trio of galaxies crashing together in a cosmic merger

23 February 2023 Astronomy Now

To better understand the origins of the most massive galaxies in the universe, astronomers are on the lookout for galactic mergers . The Hubble Space Telesacope captured a prime example with three galaxies in the process of colliding.

The Eskimo: observe one of winter’s best planetary nebulae

20 February 2023 Steve Kelly

The Eskimo Nebula or Clown Face Nebula in Gemini is a bright and popular planetary nebula found through a small telescope.

Observe Gemini’s outstanding Messier 35

14 February 2023 Mark Armstrong

Messier 35 in Gemini is a big and bright open cluster that’s one of the GoTo deep-sky objects at this time of year.

Spectacular Venus’ early-evening show

9 February 2023 Mark Armstrong

Venus is a dazzling ‘evening star’ now visible soon after sunset. Yet it’s just at the beginning of a marvellous apparition lasting through to summer.

The showpiece Rosette Nebula in Monoceros

8 February 2023 Mark Armstrong

The wonderful Rosette Nebula is a Goto deep-sky object that would grace any sky at any season.

The magnificent Orion Nebula

6 February 2023 Mark Armstrong

Start the year off in great style by catching up with Messier 42, the spectacular Orion Nebula which is arguably the best and most sought out deep-sky object of all.