Mercury, Mars, and Venus are leaving the morning sky. Mercury is at the bottom of the heap and already impossible to see from much of the world as February begins. The view’s good though from 15° to 25° south. Even from there, Mercury heads into the sunrise glow by mid-month. By that time, Venus has almost caught up with Mars. Those two planets will be close around the 21st. This is another sight best seen from low southern latitudes and not well seen from much of the world. Venus is below Mars for the rest of the month.
A thin, crescent moon passes by the morning planets on the 7th and 8th.
Saturn’s leaving the evening sky. From 25° north, the view remains good the longest, until almost the middle of the month. A thin, crescent moon passes by on the 11th. The lunar crescent is much thicker when it passes by Jupiter on the 15th. The big planet remains visible in the evening all month, although it’s also heading into the sunset.
Mercury appearing to go one way and Saturn appearing to go the other, the planets will have conjunctions on the other side of the sun on the 28th.
Moon phases this month: last quarter on the 2nd, new moon on the 9th, first quarter on the 16th, full moon on the 24th.
Lunar perigee is on the 10th at 358,100 kilometers. Apogee is on the 25th at 406,300 kilometers.