Welcome to the Ontario Parks “Eyes on the Skies” series. This “space” will cover a wide range of astronomy topics with a focus on what can be seen from the pristine skies found in our provincial parks.
The month of February brings the promise of both warmer weather and clearer skies. So grab a cup of tea or hot chocolate, bundle up, and spend the day outdoors.
And when the Sun goes down and the stars begin to shine, don’t forget to head back out to enjoy the season’s beautiful night skies!
Here are our astronomical highlights for February:
The sun
Sunrise and sunset times
| February 1 | February 15 | February 28 | |
| Sunrise | 7:48 a.m. | 7:29 a.m. | 7:05 a.m. |
| Midday | 12:39 p.m. | 12:40 p.m. | 12:38 p.m. |
| Sunset | 5:30 p.m. | 5:51 p.m. | 6:12 p.m. |
The moon
The moon has long captivated observers of all ages.
February’s lunar phases of the Moon occur as follows:
Did you know that many First Nations teachings use the back of a turtle’s shell as a lunar calendar?
The planets – Jupiter
Jupiter continues to be extremely well placed at sunset and is the brightest object in the night sky after the moon.
However, as the month progresses, it sets noticeably earlier until, by month-end, it sets before midnight.
Comets and meteor showers
February holds no major meteor shower but that’s not to say that you won’t see one if you are in dark skies (as can be found in many provincial parks).
On any given night, in the dark skies of provincial parks, one might see as many as five to 10 meteors per hour, especially after midnight.
February constellations
Humans have looked up at the stars for thousands of years. The stars helped them try to understand their purpose, and the role they play in our lives.
To help memorize the different stars, patterns of connect-the-dot figures were created by many different cultures. Today, we recognize 88 official patterns or “constellations” of stars.
Orion continues to be the dominant constellation high in the southern skies. As pictured in this photo, it’s three belt stars in a row are unmistakable. Much star formation is happening within the various gaseous nebulae that exist in this part of the sky.
There are many popular constellations that are associated with this time of the year. Learn more about Gemini, one of our top picks for February.
This completes our review of February skies
Check back each month as we highlight celestial events through the seasons, or read more about astronomy in provincial parks.
