The two planets that are in prime position for evening visibility this month are, ironically, the two planets on opposite ends of the spectrum concerning size. The solar system‘s biggest planet, Jupiter, is in excellent position for observation this month of February, high in the east-southeast sky at nightfall and soaring high into the sky during the mid-to-late evening hours. Meanwhile, the smallest planet — Mercury — will enjoy its finest evening apparition, readily available to those who seek it out about three-quarters of an hour after sunset, low in the west-southwest sky, for a three-week interval beginning on Feb. 6.
The only planet completely out of the viewing loop is Mars, which is much too close to the glare of the sun to be seen all month long.
In our schedule, remember that when measuring the angular separation between two celestial objects, your clenched fist held at arm’s length measures roughly 10-degrees. Here, we present a schedule below which provides some of the best planet viewing times, as well as directing you to where to look to see them.
Mercury
Mercury, moving from superior conjunction, begins a fine apparition on the evening of Feb. 6, low in the west-southwest for skywatchers at mid-northern latitudes. During the first part of February, it comes into view higher in the fading dusk each evening. Currently, magnitude -1.1 (among the stars, only Sirius is brighter), and 12 degrees east of the sun, the planet will set an hour after sundown. On the evening of Feb. 18, about 45 minutes after sunset, look low toward the west-southwest horizon for a hairline-thin waxing crescent moon, just 2 percent illuminated by the sun. Sitting less than one degree above it will be Mercury. The pair is even closer together as seen from the Midwest and still closer together as seen from the western U.S.
The view through binoculars should be stunning. As a bonus, for parts of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, the moon will appear to pass directly in front of Mercury. On the following evening, Mercury attains its greatest elongation, only 18.1 degrees from the sun. So small an angle for an eastern elongation will not be matched until 2039. And yet around this time Mercury will be in the sky throughout evening twilight, the only such occasion in 2026. At this time, the speedy little planet shines at magnitude -0.4, and telescopes show its tiny disk exactly half lit — which isn’t always the case at most of Mercury’s greatest elongations. In the following week, Mercury fades by nearly a factor of five and soon sinks out of view. Inferior conjunction occurs on March 7.
Venus
Venus was at superior conjunction with the sun on Jan. 6; farthest from Earth on Jan. 8; and at aphelion — farthest from the sun in space — on Jan. 22. As February begins, Venus will be very challenging to glimpse even with optical aid, for it will be less than 4 degrees high at sunset and will set less than a half hour after the sun.
By Feb. 15, Venus may be evident to the eye without any optical aid. About 15 minutes after sunset, search very low near the west-southwest horizon. If you still can’t find it, scan with binoculars, then once found, you should be able to see it with your unaided eyes shining radiantly through the bright evening twilight. On the other hand, by month’s end, this brilliant -3.9-magnitude planet appears about 10 degrees high at sunset and should be reasonably easy to find before it sets about an hour after sundown.
Mars
Mars during February lies only 6 to 12 degrees west of the sun and, as such, is hopelessly lost in the solar glare.
Jupiter
Jupiter was at opposition on Jan. 10. So, February finds it already well up in the east as the sky darkens. It shines in Gemini, dimming a bit this month from magnitude -2.6 to -2.4 as it slowly retrogrades (moves westward relative to the background stars). The big planet is high for most of the night as seen from mid-northern latitudes; it’s highest around 10:20 p.m. as February begins and 8:30 p.m. as the month ends. And although its apparent diameter shrinks slightly by about 6% during this month, Jupiter always appears large enough through a medium-sized telescope to see a lot of detail in its clouds if the air is sufficiently steady. As darkness falls on Feb. 26, look high in the eastern sky for the waxing gibbous moon and hovering about a half-dozen degrees below it will be “Big Jupe.”
Saturn
Saturn is losing altitude rapidly with each passing night. At the beginning of the month, it’s visible low in the west-southwest sky as darkness descends. Now Saturn’s lower position will make locating it trickier, so tonight, use the moon as your benchmark. In telescopes, the still-narrow rings will be slowly opening like some late-winter flower, but by month’s end, it will be difficult to get an image of them unruffled by Earth’s quavering atmosphere. The crescent moon, which on Feb. 19 will have widened to 7% illuminated after its close encounter with Mercury on the previous evening, will sit about 4 degrees to the right of first-magnitude Saturn.
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