February 2026: A Month of Remarkable Planetary Events

February 2026 presents a series of notable celestial events for skywatchers. On February 6, Mercury begins a favorable evening apparition, visible low in the west-southwest sky about 45 minutes after sunset. The planet reaches its greatest elongation on February 19, making it one of the best opportunities to observe Mercury this year.

Venus, emerging into the evening sky in late February, becomes increasingly prominent. By month's end, it appears about 10 degrees high at sunset, setting approximately an hour after sundown.

Jupiter, residing in Gemini, is well-positioned for observation throughout February. It shines brightly in the east-southeast sky at nightfall, reaching its highest point around 10:20 p.m. at the beginning of the month and around 8:30 p.m. by month's end.

Saturn, located in Pisces, is visible low in the west-southwest sky after sunset. However, it descends closer to the horizon each evening and becomes increasingly challenging to observe as the month progresses.

A significant event occurs on February 16, when Saturn and Neptune experience a conjunction, appearing less than one degree apart in the sky. This marks the third and final conjunction in their current series, with the next such event not occurring until 2061.

On February 17, an annular solar eclipse takes place. The path of annularity primarily traverses Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, making it visible mainly to observers in those regions.

The month concludes with a remarkable planetary alignment on February 28. Six planets—Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—align in the evening sky, creating a striking visual display. Observers can view this alignment about an hour after sunset, looking toward the western horizon. While Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mercury are visible to the naked eye, Uranus and Neptune may require binoculars or a telescope for observation.