Stargazing in the Netherlands: February 2025 Sky Guide to Planets, Alignments & Must-See Celestial Events

      

 February 2025 Sky Guide: Top celestial events you wouldn't want to miss for all stargazers

With the night sky beautifully covered by dazzling constellations, February 2025 boasts an exciting show of planetary alignment, lunar pairs, and wondrous sights for stargazers. Casual stargazers would not miss much as there's something in the sky this February. Here's a breakdown.

February Must See Celestial Events

February 1: Crescent Moon and Venus Pair Up

Start the month off with a bang by catching a beautiful sight: the young waxing crescent moon pairing up with bright Venus in the southwestern sky at dusk. Look closely, and you might catch earthshine illuminating the moon's dark side. Saturn will also make an appearance, positioned just a fist-width below this stunning duo.

February 5: Moon Meets the Pleiades Star Cluster

Cozy up the waxing gibbous moon near the Pleiades Star Cluster. Bring along your binoculars for better viewing of this celestial encounter.

February 9: Mars, Moon, Castor Triangle

When night sets in, see Mars, a waxing gibbous moon, and star Castor creating an isosceles triangle in the sky. This configuration is a gem for sky viewers.

February 14: Brightest Venus of the Year

Valentine's Day heralds the cosmic gift that brings Venus at the peak of brightness with an apparent magnitude of -4.9. Darker skies would sometimes allow your shadow to fall even from Venus! Pro Tip: Use a sheet of white ground to augment it.

Feb 14 – Feb 28 Zodiacal Light with Venus

Dark sky locations will be available for viewing the zodiacal light, a faint, triangular glow in the western sky, for the next two weeks. Brilliant Venus is likely to be nestled within this ethereal phenomenon, making it a perfect opportunity for astrophotography.

February 24-25: Close Encounter of Mercury and Saturn

As the month winds down, Mercury and Saturn will have a close encounter in the western sky at sunset. Look for Venus as a guide, and use binoculars to spot the pair low on the horizon.

Moon Phases in February 2025

February 5: First Quarter Moon

February 12: Full Snow Moon (named for the season’s heavy snowfall)

February 20: Last Quarter Moon

February 28: New Moon

Planetary Highlights

Mercury: Seen low in the southeast before dawn at the start of the month, but later moves into the evening sky during late February.

Venus: Not easy to miss, blazing brightly above the southwest horizon after sunset.

Mars: Getting dimmer but still visible in the east after dusk. Telescopes needed to observe surface features.

Jupiter: Bright and obvious, ruling the nighttime sky.

Tips for Skywatching Success

Use Binoculars or a Telescope: Magnify your view of planets, star clusters, and lunar details.

Find a Dark Sky Location: Get away from light pollution for the best views of faint phenomena like the zodiacal light.

Capture the Moment: Try astrophotography with a smartphone or digital camera mounted on a tripod.