Love them February Skies
Dear AOSNY Members and Friends,
February is often thought of as the quiet heart of winter, but for astronomers it is anything but quiet. The skies this month continue to reward those willing to brave the cold, offering some of the clearest and steadiest observing conditions of the year. Crisp air, long nights, and a sky rich with constellations make February a perfect time to reconnect with the night and remind ourselves why we do what we do.
High overhead we find Orion still commanding center stage, with the Orion Nebula glowing as one of the finest deep-sky objects visible from Long Island. Taurus, Auriga, Gemini, and Canis Major frame the winter Milky Way, and with even modest binoculars or telescopes we can explore star clusters, nebulae, and distant galaxies that have inspired astronomers for centuries. This is also a wonderful month to introduce newcomers to the sky — the geometry of winter constellations is bold, intuitive, and easy to learn.
On the planetary front, Jupiter continues to be a standout object this season. Its ever-changing cloud bands, the Great Red Spot, and the constant dance of its Galilean moons offer a living demonstration of celestial mechanics in real time. Watching a moon transit across the planet’s disk, or seeing its shadow glide across Jupiter’s atmosphere, is often the moment when people truly realize that the universe is not static — it is dynamic, active, and alive.
February General Meeting – Join us February 1st at 1:15 PM at Berliner Hall as we celebrate with our yearly AOSNY Awards Ceremony, now held in February instead of June. Be present as Club Certificates are handed out in recognition of all the great work our volunteers have provided throughout the year. Acknowledgment is an integral part of being part of this club, as we cheer one another on while advancing together through the stars. Then at 3:00 PM, please stay and join us as our guest speaker, Dr. Glenn Kreisberg, presents an in-person lecture on Archaeoastronomy: The Marker Stones of the Hudson Valley — a fascinating exploration of how ancient and indigenous cultures aligned stone structures with celestial events. We very much look forward to welcoming this special guest!
As a club, February also represents something deeper: reflection and preparation. We are now firmly into our 61st anniversary year, a milestone that speaks not just to longevity, but to resilience, curiosity, and community. For six decades, AOSNY has served as a bridge between the public and the cosmos — from outreach events and school programs to star parties, lectures, and now our growing vision for a permanent public observatory on Long Island.
Every telescope we set up, every question we answer, and every person who looks through an eyepiece for the first time is part of that legacy. We are not just observing the universe — we are building a culture of scientific curiosity and shared wonder.
So this month, I encourage you to step outside on a clear night, even for a few minutes. Let your eyes adjust. Find Orion. Follow the belt to Sirius. Track Jupiter’s moons. And remember that each of us, standing on this small ship called Earth, is a passenger on a much larger cosmic journey.
Ten Best Winter Observing Targets
(Great for Binoculars or Small Telescopes)
1. Orion Nebula (M42) – The Birthplace of the Stars
Perhaps the most famous nebula in the night sky, M42 is a massive stellar nursery located about 1,300 light-years away. What you are seeing is a vast cloud of gas and dust collapsing under gravity to form new stars. Even in binoculars, the nebula appears as a glowing mist below Orion’s Belt, and in a telescope, it reveals structure, wings, and the bright Trapezium star cluster at its core. This is one of those objects that never gets old — no matter how many times you observe it.
2. Sigma Orionis – A beautiful multiple star system below Orion’s Belt
Just below the easternmost star in Orion’s Belt lies Sigma Orionis, a fascinating multiple star system and part of a young stellar association. Through a telescope, this system resolves into a group of several stars of differing brightness, all gravitationally bound. It’s an excellent demonstration of how common multiple-star systems are in our galaxy and a great target for testing optics on a steady winter night.
3. M79 – A globular cluster below Orion’s feet
M79 is one of the few globular clusters visible in the winter sky. Located below Orion in the constellation Lepus, this ancient ball of stars contains hundreds of thousands of suns packed into a region only a few dozen light-years across. These stars are among the oldest in the Milky Way, formed over 11 billion years ago — meaning you are looking at relics from the early history of our galaxy.
4. R Leporis (Hind’s Crimson Star) – The Crimson Star of Winter
This is one of the reddest visible stars in the sky and a true favorite for visual observers. R Leporis is a carbon star whose atmosphere absorbs blue light, allowing deep reds and oranges to dominate. The result is a star that looks almost unreal — glowing like a tiny ember in space. Its color is so intense that it often surprises first-time observers.
5. M41 – An open cluster just south of Sirius
M41 is a bright open star cluster located just below Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. Easily visible in binoculars, this cluster contains about 100 stars spread across a region roughly 25 light-years wide. It’s a perfect “beginner’s cluster” and a great object to show at outreach events because of how easily it pops into view.
6. NGC 2362 (Tau Canis Majoris Cluster) – The Canines’ other cluster
This compact open cluster surrounds the bright star Tau Canis Majoris and is sometimes called the “Mexican Jumping Star Cluster.” It’s relatively young, only a few million years old, and dominated by hot blue stars. The contrast between the bright central star and the surrounding cluster makes it a visually striking object in even small telescopes.
7. Castor & Pollux – Gemini’s famous twin stars
The heads of the Gemini twins, Castor and Pollux are a classic naked-eye pair. While Pollux is a single orange giant star, Castor is actually a complex multiple-star system — one of the finest double (and triple) star systems in the sky. Through a telescope, Castor splits cleanly into two bright white stars, offering a beautiful and educational example of stellar systems.
8. NGC 2392 (The Eskimo Nebula) – Winter’s best-known planetary nebula
Also known as the “Clown Face” or “Eskimo Nebula,” this object is the glowing remains of a Sun-like star that has shed its outer layers. What you’re seeing is a stellar death cloud, expanding into space. In larger telescopes, the nebula shows a distinct face-like structure, making it one of the most memorable planetary nebulae in the sky.
9. M35 – An open cluster at the feet of the Twins
M35 is a rich open cluster located at the feet of Gemini. It contains hundreds of stars and is easily visible in binoculars, appearing as a fuzzy patch that resolves into countless pinpoints in a telescope. Nearby, with larger instruments, you can even spot the much more distant companion cluster NGC 2158, which is a beautiful contrast in age and distance.
10. M36, M37, and M38 – Auriga’s Trio: “X Marks the Spot”
These three open clusters form a wonderful winter triangle in the constellation Auriga. Each cluster has a distinct personality: M36 is compact and bright, M37 is the richest and most densely packed, and M38 has a loose, cross-shaped pattern. Together, they make a perfect sweeping target for binoculars and wide field telescopes, and are ideal for learning how to “star hop” across the winter Milky Way.
Most of these objects can be seen with a good set of binoculars — and all are stunning through a telescope. Let’s look for them together this winter.
Thank you for being part of AOSNY — for your time, your passion, and your commitment to bringing the universe a little closer to home.
Clear skies,
Jason Cousins
President, AOSNY
