Derekscope

• Your guide to the night sky this month, and a guide for binoculars, and telescope deaf owners, compiled by Derek Rowley.
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• Click the blue link below for more information;

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Astronomy Highlights for February 2026

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• At 7:30 pm, Jupiter shines just 4° above the Moon, the two sharing a straight path across the night sky.
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Algol Minima

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• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) will reach its minimum brightness at 01:03 / 1.03 am in the early morning on Friday 30th January and will be visible from the UK.
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• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
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• The Moon will reach perigee, its closest point to Earth, at 21:44 / 9.44pm today.
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• Already quite large and bright in the constellation Taurus , as it’s approaching full phase and perigee.
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• The Moon will occult the Seven Sisters (Pleiades / M45).
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• This is a striking event where the Moon passes directly in front of the cluster, causing its stars to disappear one by one behind the lunar limb.
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• Disappearances happen at the Moon’s dark limb, making them easier to spot with binoculars or a telescope.
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Algol Minima

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• The bright variable star Beta Persei (Algol) will reach its minimum brightness at 04:14 / 4.14 am in the early morning on Tuesday 27th January and will be visible from the UK.
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• Here’s a list of upcoming minimum brightness times for Algol – read more.
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• The Moon reaches its First Quarter phase at 12:44pm, with 50% illumination in the constellation Taurus (The Bull).
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• The Moon is waxing again, heading toward the next Full Moon on Sunday 1st February 2026.
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• The crescent Moon meets Saturn in the evening sky.
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• At around the same time, the two objects will also make a close approach, technically called an appulse.
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• Appulse
  This meaning two bodies appear very near each other in the sky – usually the planets or the Moon – appear close to one another in the sky.
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• Dwarf planet Pluto is in solar conjunction with the Sun at 10:20am today.
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• This means Pluto lies on the far side of the solar system, directly behind the Sun from Earth’s perspective, and is completely hidden in the Sun’s glare.
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• About 3.38 billion miles away from Earth to Pluto.
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• Light travel time roughly 5 hours for the light cross that gap.
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• Never look at the Sun directly that the eye can be permanently damaged.
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• BSL Version

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• On the evening of Thursday 22nd January, the Moon and Saturn will be visible low in the southwest sky after sunset.
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• On Friday 23rd January, the Moon & Saturn become visible after dusk, around 17:30pm, about 30–35° above the horizon, and setting by 21:30pm.
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