The Northern Hemisphere
Make the most of the February skies with these night-sky gems
The Dog Star, Sirius – which shines at magnitude -1.46 in Canis Major – is an unmissable sight for those who are content with gazing at the sky without the need for binoculars or a telescope. Meanwhile, red supergiant Betelgeuse on the shoulder of Orion is also an easy target for the naked eye, glowing with a reddish hue. If you have a pair of binoculars of at least 10x50 magnification, then sweep across the stellar members that make up the Pleiades (Messier 45) and the Hyades star clusters. If you have a telescope with at least a small aperture, then head to the tip of Taurus’ bottom horn and you should be able to spot a stunning supernova remnant – the Crab Nebula (Messier 1) – under favourable night-sky conditions.