Department of Science and Technology
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration
Astronomical Diary
Calendar of Astronomical Events FEBRUARY 2025
Date Event Time
01 Close approach of the Moon and Saturn 12:01 p.m.
01 Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn 12:52 p.m.
02 Moon at Perigee (Distance = 367,508.427 km) 02:10 a.m.
02 Conjunction of the Moon and Venus 04:27 a.m.
02 Close approach of the Moon and Venus 06:24 a.m.
04 Jupiter ends retrograde motion 05:38 p.m.
07 Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter 10:01 a.m.
07 Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter 11:35 a.m.
08 α-Centaurid meteor shower (ZHR = 6) ---
10 Conjunction of Waxing Gibbous Moon and Mars 03:36 a.m.
10 Close approach of Waxing Gibbous Moon and Mars 03:49 a.m.
16 Venus at greatest brightness 04:58 p.m.
16-22 National Astronomy Week ---
18 Moon at Apogee (Distance = 404,817.433 km) 09:10 a.m.
21-28 Planetary alignment of Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars ---
24 Mars ends retrograde motion 10:02 a.m.
Moon Phases
First Quarter
Feb 05 04:02 PM
Full Moon
Feb 12 09:53 PM
Last Quarter
Feb 21 01:32 AM
New Moon
Feb 28 08:45 AM
Rise and Set Times of Planets
Date Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn
Rise Set Rise Set Rise Set Rise Set Rise Set
Feb 01 06:07 am 05:29 pm 08:55 am 09:00 pm 04:08 pm 05:14 am* 01:22 pm 02:17 am* 08:32 am 08:21 pm
Feb 11 06:32 am 06:05 pm 08:34 am 08:49 pm 03:18 pm 04:25 am* 12:43 pm 01:38 am* 07:56 am 07:46 pm
Feb 21 06:53 am 06:42 pm 08:06 am 08:27 pm 02:35 pm 03:40 am* 12:05 pm 01:00 am* 07:20 am 07:11 pm
Feb 28 07:04 am 07:05 pm 07:40 am 08:04 pm 02:07 pm 03:12 am* 11:40 am 12:35 am* 06:56 am 06:47 pm

* = following day

Stars and Constellation

The night skies of February feature the constellations Camelopardalis, Gemini, and Monoceros in the northern celestial hemisphere while Canis Major, Columba, and Puppis are in the south. The prominent constellations are placed directly overhead at 09:00 p.m. on 15 February 2025 as shown in Figure 1. [1,2]
fi1
Figure 1: The view of the night sky featuring the prominent January constellations at 09:00 p.m. on 15 February 2025 using the Stellarium software.

One of the constellations of the zodiac, Gemini, the celestial twins, is the radiant point of the annual major meteor shower, Geminids. This constellation can be easily spotted on a clear dark sky, with its two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux, representing the heads of the two brothers. Gemini is a wealth of remarkable deep-sky objects. These include the galactic supernova remnant IC 443 [Figure 2a], a planetary nebula, named the Eskimo Nebula or Clown Face Nebula (NGC 2392) [Figure 2b], also referred to as the Jellyfish Nebula, and the open cluster Messier 35, that is about 3,870 light-years distant. [2,3,4]

Monoceros is a faint equatorial constellation, with the brightest star, Beta Monocerotis, having a magnitude of 3.67. Beta Monocerotis is a triple-star system that creates a triangle pattern when observed through a telescope. One of the most massive binary stars discovered, the Plaskett’s Star (V640 Monocerotis) can also be found in this constellation. Despite its faintness, Monoceros holds several fascinating deep-sky attractions, including the famous Rosette Nebula (NGC 2237-2246) [Figure 2c], the Hubble’s Variable Nebula (NGC 2261), and the open star clusters Messier 50 and NGC 2506. [2,5,6]
fig2
Figure 2: The Northern Constellations		 fig3
Figure 3: The Southern Constellations

Canis Major, the Greater Dog, is renowned for hosting the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius. Sirius is a binary star system with an apparent magnitude of -1.46, approximately 8.60 light-years from Earth. It is part of the Winter Triangle asterism together with Betelgeuse (Orion) and Procyon (Canis Minor). Canis Major is home to Thor’s Helmet Nebula (NGC 2359) [Figure 3a], an emission nebula; the colliding spiral galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163 [Figure 3b], and Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy, Earth’s nearest neighboring satellite galaxy. [2,7]

Puppis, known as the “Stern of the Ship”, was formerly a component of a much larger constellation, the Argo Navis, along with the constellations Carina and Vela. It is one of the largest constellations in the southern sky, with a multitude of notable stars and captivating deep-sky features. Puppis’ brightest star, Zeta Puppis (or Naos) is a blue supergiant and is one of the most brilliant stars in our galaxy. Another noteworthy star is Rho Puppis, a yellow-white giant with significant variations in its luminance. This constellation contains the planetary nebula, NGC 2440 and NGC 2438, the Calabash Nebula [Figure 3c], and the star-forming region NGC 2647, also known as the Skull and Crossbones Nebula. [2,8]

Planetary Location

Venus, Jupiter, and Mars are readily observable as dusk fades to darkness until they dive into the western horizon. Saturn is also well visible in the night sky from the beginning to the middle of the month but will be lying low on the west, thereafter, until it eventually disappears. Mercury will not be available due to its proximity to the Sun. Jupiter will end its retrograde motion on 04 February at 05:38 p.m., reverting to its more typical eastward motion. On 16 February at 04:58 p.m., Venus is at its greatest brightness in its evening apparition, shining brightly at mag -4.6. Mars will also reach the end of its retrograde movement on 24 February at 10:02 a.m. [1,10,11,12]

The parade of planets – Saturn, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars – will still be present in the night sky until around 20 February. The inclusion of Mercury in this astronomical event starting on the 21st will mark a rare planetary alignment of seven (7) planets [Figure 4]. Three (3) planets will be readily visible – Venus, Jupiter, and Mars – while Saturn and Mercury will be challenging to observe due to their low position in the sky. Meanwhile, Neptune and Uranus can only be viewed using a modest telescope or high-powered binoculars. [1]
Fig4
Figure 4: The view of the night sky showing the planetary alignment of seven (7) planets – Mercury, Saturn, Neptune, Venus, Uranus, Jupiter, and Mars – on 21 February at 06:30 p.m. using Stellarium.

The Moon and Saturn, both lying in the constellation Aquarius, will make a close approach on 01 February at 12:01 p.m., passing within 57.6 arcminutes. About an hour later, the two objects will be in conjunction with the Moon passing 1°05’ to the north of Saturn. The exact timing of these events will not be visible due to the Sun’s presence, but the pair can be seen above the western horizon at 06:30 p.m. on the same day [Figure 5]. [13,14]

The 3-day-old Moon and Venus will share the same right ascension with the Moon passing 2°21’ to the south of Venus on 02 February at 04:27 a.m. It will be followed by the two objects approaching closely at 06:24 a.m., passing within 2°04’ of each other. The exact events will not be observable as the two objects are below the horizon, thus the best time to view their close pairing is at 06:30 p.m. over the western horizon [Figure 6], with the Moon and Venus shining brightly at magnitudes -10.7 and -4.6, respectively. [9,15,16]
fig5
Figure 5: The view of the western sky showing the close pairing of the Moon and Saturn on 01 February at 06:30 p.m. using Stellarium.		 fig6
Figure 6: The view of the western sky showing the close pairing of the Moon and Venus on 02 February at 06:30 p.m. using Stellarium.

On 07 February, at 10:01 a.m., the Moon and Jupiter will be in close proximity, passing within 5°25’ of each other. At 11:35 a.m., the two will be in conjunction, separated by 5°29’. The two objects, located in the constellation Taurus, are still below the horizon at the exact occurrence of these events, so their close pairing is best viewed at 06:30 p.m. until they set in the northwestern horizon [Figure 7]. [9,17,18]

The Waxing Gibbous Moon will pass 46’ north of Mars as they will be in conjunction at 03:36 a.m. on 10 February. At about the same moment, they will make a close approach passing within a mere 46.0 arcminutes of each other. Both objects lie behind the background stars of the constellation Gemini. The exact events will be visible with the two objects lying low on the northwestern horizon as shown in Figure 8. [9,19,20]
fig7
Figure 7: The view of the night sky showing the close pairing of the Moon and Jupiter on 07 February at 06:30 p.m. using Stellarium.		 fig8
Figure 8: The view of the northwestern sky showing the conjunction of the Waxing Gibbous Moon and Mars on 10 February at 03:36 a.m. using Stellarium.

All the conjunctions and near approaches mentioned between the planet and the moon, or planet to planet, will be visible enough to fit within the field of view of a telescope and can also be viewed with the naked eye or using a pair of binoculars.

Meteor Shower

The α-Centaurid meteor shower will be observed from 28 January to 21 February with its peak activity on 08 February. It will be visible once its radiant point, the constellation Centaurus, is above the eastern horizon around 12:20 a.m. each night and remains active until around 05:58 a.m. the following day. The radiant point is highest in the sky around 05:00 a.m. and will likely produce its best display shortly before dawn as seen in Figure 9. The meteor shower is expected to produce about 6 meteors per hour at its peak. However, the Moon, nearing its full phase at the shower’s peak will provide a significant impact on meteor-watching throughout the night. [21]
Fig9
Figure 9: The view of the southern sky during the peak of the α- Centaurid meteor shower on 08 February 2025 at 05:00 a.m. when the shower’s radiant is represented by the green solid circle.


Meteor showers are observable through the naked eye, and no special equipment such as telescopes or binoculars is needed. Maximize the viewing experience by choosing a dark observation site away from the city lights under clear and moonless sky conditions.

National Astronomy Week 2025

Under Presidential Proclamation No. 130, s. 1993, the National Astronomy Week is to be celebrated every 3rd week of February. This year’s celebration will be on 16-22 February 2025, with the theme “Stellar Encounters: Astronomy in Daily Life (in Music, in Arts, in Film, in Climate Change, and in Mental Health)”.

The theme for the 32nd NAW celebration aims to showcase Astronomy as part of our daily lives through music, arts, and film. As well as raising awareness of Climate Change and Mental Health through Astronomy.
naw2025

We invite you to share your organization's planned activities for NAW 2025 on this Padlet. Please provide the following details for each event: organization name, event name, duration, location, a brief description, and contact person.

For more information about the celebration, kindly contact Engr. Ma. Rosario C. Ramos, Chief of Space Science and Astronomy Section (SSAS), at the telephone number (02) 8284-0800 loc 3015, or send an email at astronomy@pagasa.dost.gov.ph

Watch: Astronomical Events for February 2025

Notes and References

Notes:
*following day
• All times displayed are in Philippine Standard Time (PhST)

References:
[1] PAGASA Special Publication No. 840; The Philippine Star Atlas 2019/Stellarium Software
[2] C. Guide, “Constellations: A Guide to the Night Sky.” https://www.constellation-guide.com/constellations-by-month/february-constellations/, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[3] The Constellation Directory, “Gemini” http://www.constellationdirectory.org/constellations/gemini.html, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[4] Go Astronomy, “GEMINI CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Gemini, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[5] Go Astronomy, “MONOCEROS CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Monoceros, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[6] The Constellation Directory, “Monoceros” http://www.constellationdirectory.org/constellations/monoceros.html, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[7] Go Astronomy, “CANIS MAJOR CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Canis%20Major, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[8] Go Astronomy, “PUPPIS CONSTELLATION” https://www.go-astronomy.com/constellations.php?Name=Puppis, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[9] Multi-Interactive Computer Almanac (MICA) /, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[10] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Jupiter ends retrograde motion” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250204_12_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[11] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Venus at greatest brightness” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250216_11_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[12] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Mars ends retrograde motion” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250224_12_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[13] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Saturn” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250201_15_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[14] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250201_20_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[15] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Venus” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250201_20_101, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[16] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Venus” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250201_15_101, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[17] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Jupiter” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250207_15_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[18] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250207_20_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[19] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Conjunction of the Moon and Mars” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250209_20_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[20] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “Close approach of the Moon and Mars” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250209_15_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.
[21] D. Ford, “In-The-Sky.org Guide to the night sky: “α-Centaurid meteor shower 2025” https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20250208_10_100, Last accessed on 2025-01-14, 2025.


For more information, call or email:

Ms. Ma. Rosario C. Ramos
Chief, SSAS - RDTD
PAGASA - DOST
Diliman, Quezon City
Trunkline: 8284-0800 loc 3015, 3016, 3017
Email add: astronomy@pagasa.dost.gov.ph

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