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Sky Digest

Saturday, 14 February 2026 | Default Location
Showing the sky from Greenwich, London. Log in to use your own location.
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Tonight at a Glance

Waning Crescent 7%
Dark window: 18:19 – 05:40 (11 h 21 m)

Planet Highlights

Jupiter mag -2.6 · 61° alt · Gemini Details
GRS transit tonight:
Io Shadow transit begins
Io Transit begins
Io Shadow transit ends
Io Transit ends
+2 more — Details

For Beginners (naked eye)

M41
Little Beehive Cluster Open Cluster
mag 4.5

At 21:00 look low in the south

Canis Major
M42
Great Orion Nebula Nebula
mag 4.0

At 21:00 look halfway up in the south

Orion
M31
Andromeda Galaxy Galaxy
mag 3.4

At 21:00 look halfway up in the northwest

Andromeda

Binocular Targets

U Ori
Variable Star
mag 5.4

At 21:00 look high in the south

Ori
M50
Heart-Shaped Cluster Open Cluster
mag 5.9

At 21:00 look halfway up in the south

Monoceros
M81
Bode's Galaxy Galaxy
mag 6.9

At 21:00 look high in the northeast

Ursa Major

Small Scopes (3–6 inch)

Castor
HIP 36850; Alpha Gem; 66 Gem Double Star
mag 2.0

At 21:00 look high in the southeast

Gem
NGC 2252
Open Cluster
mag 8.0

At 21:00 look halfway up in the south

Mon
M43
De Mairan's Nebula Nebula
mag 9.0

At 21:00 look halfway up in the south

Orion
C7
NGC 2403 Galaxy
mag 8.4

At 21:00 look near the zenith

Camelopardalis
3 Gem
Variable Star
mag 5.8

At 21:00 look high in the south

Gem

Big Scopes (8–12 inch)

NGC 2192
Open Cluster
mag 11.0

At 21:00 look near the zenith

Aur
NGC 2440
Planetary Nebula
mag 11.0

At 21:00 look low in the south

Pup
NGC 2146
Galaxy
mag 10.5

At 21:00 look high in the north

Cam
NGC 2207
Galaxy
mag 10.7

At 21:00 look low in the south

CMa
NGC 2336
Galaxy
mag 10.5

At 21:00 look high in the north

Cam

The Week Ahead

Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri
🌘 7% 🌑 3% 🌑 0% 🌑 0% 🌑 2% 🌒 6% 🌒 13%

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

Roses are Red

Roses are red, nebulas are too, and this Valentine's gift is a stunning view! Pictured is a loving look at the Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237): a cosmic bloom of bright young stars sitting atop a stem of glowing hot gas. The rose’s blue-white speckles are among the most luminous stars in the galaxy, with some burning millions of times brighter than the Sun. Their stellar winds sculpt the famed rose shape by pushing gas and dust away from the center. Though only a few million years old, these massive stars are already nearing the end of their lives, while dimmer stars embedded in the nebula will burn for billions of years to come. The vibrant red hue comes from hydrogen gas, ionized by the ultraviolet light from the young stars. The rose’s blue-white center is color-mapped to indicate the presence of similarly ionized oxygen. The Rosette Nebula reminds us of the beauty and transformation woven into the fabric of the universe.

Image credit: Keighley Rockcliffe — APOD is a service of NASA and Michigan Tech. U.

View on NASA APOD

Space News

NASA Sets Coverage for First Artemis Crewed Mission Around Moon

NASA sets coverage for Artemis II, the first crewed mission around the Moon, targeting a launch no earlier than April 1, 2026, marking a major milestone in the Artemis program.

NASA — 25 Mar 2026

NASA-JAXA’s XRISM Telescope Clocks Hot Wind of Galaxy M82

NASA-JAXA's XRISM telescope directly measures the speed of superheated gas from galaxy M82 for the first time, providing new insights into galactic phenomena.

NASA — 25 Mar 2026

NASA Webb, Hubble Share Most Comprehensive View of Saturn to Date

NASA's James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes combine observations to capture the most comprehensive view of Saturn to date, revealing the planet in complementary infrared and visible wavelengths.

NASA — 25 Mar 2026

Smiles and Spacesuits

NASA astronaut Chris Williams completes spacesuit fit verification on the ISS, demonstrating ongoing preparations for future spacewalks and extravehicular activities.

NASA — 20 Mar 2026

Explore the Three-Body Problem

Simulate chaotic gravitational dynamics with preset scenarios: circumbinary planets, Lagrange points, and the famous Figure-8 choreography. Switch between inertial and co-rotating frames.

Explore the Three-Body Problem Open Three-Body

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