Today:
February opens with this month’s meeting of our two brightest nighttime objects, Venus and the Moon. The Moon is always a Crescent when it encounters Venus, because Venus’s orbit keeps it close to the Sun. They appear one third of the way up at 5:45 PM, setting some 3 hours later. Look for them farther apart when they meet again to kick off the month of March.

Sunday:
Yes, it’s Ground Hog Day, and people might be watching for his shadow. The traditions, however, extend back before any weather prognostications by some furry rodent. Ancient observers noted this date as the halfway point from the Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox, the middle point of winter. To the Celts, this “cross-quarter day” was called Imbolc, sometimes translated as “lamb’s milk”.

Monday:
While the Moon is still thin, notice that the Milky Way arches from southeast, between the stars of Orion on the right, and the celestial dogs on the left, then overhead, dropping back down into the northwest. The Milky Way is much fainter, more sublte this time of year compared to the Summer, because we are looking toward its outer edges.