February

Abstract

As this is the start of the month, it will be useful to ‘look round’ and see which stars are on view. Fortunately, in the evening sky northern-hemisphere observers have both their main guides, Ursa Major and Orion. Ursa Major is in the north-east, with the Bear ‘standing on its tail’; the W Cassiopeia is in the north-west, about the same distance from the Pole Star. The Square of Pegasus is disappearing in the west, and will not be well seen again until autumn. The brilliant yellow Capella is almost overhead—which means that the equally brilliant Vega is very low over the northern horizon, even though from the latitude of the British Isles it never actually sets. Arcturus, actually the most brilliant star in the northern hemisphere of the sky, is starting to appear in the east. The Milky Way is beautifully displayed, running from the southern horizon past Orion, Cassiopeia and Capella down to the northern horizon.