The Planets:
Mercury:  Mercury is very low in the eastern sky for a very short time this month.  The sun's glare prevents us from viewing Mercury.

Venus:  Venus, also known as the "evening star" to observers, will appear in the west/southwest at dusk.   It continues to get brighter during February.  Venus and the Earth come closer in distance during February giving observers with even small telescopes the chance to see changes in Venus' appearance.  Venus is always brilliant, but the view is going to get better.  Over the next couple of months Venus will climb higher and shine brighter as it prepares to give us its best evening look in ten years.

Mars:  Mars can be found in the southwest as the sky darkens.  Look for it high above Venus where it will appear as a bright orange orb.  Mars is traveling through Aries, and around midmonth it will lie halfway between Venus and the star Aldebaran.  As its distance from Earth grows, Mars will continue to fade in brightness and shrink in visible size. 

Jupiter:  Look for Jupiter in the east after the sun sets.  This giant planet is located in the constellation of Leo, the Lion, with a backward question mark configuration forming his head.  Jupiter remains visible all night.  Jupiter is heading for opposition, when it attains a position in our solar system that is on the opposite side of the Earth from our Sun.  Next month it will be even brighter. 

Saturn:  Saturn is high in the southeast among the stars of Gemini the Twins.  The best viewing time of Saturn and its brightest moons will be in mid-evening when Saturn is high in the sky.  It continues to be visible almost all night long.  Saturn is a fascinating telescopic object during this month.  The southern face of the rings are tipped 26° to our line of sight giving observers a stunning view of the rings and the southern hemisphere.

Looking for a Little More?  If this Skyline whets your appetite, try this website:  skymaps.com/downloads.html.  It offers a two page pdf brochure that you can print out for free.  It has a basic skymap and short lists of visual, binocular, and small telescope objects.  It is really good--check it out!