OBSERVING February 2020 1 DUSK: The month opens with Venus blazing above the southwestern horizon. Watch throughout the month as the Evening Star climbs higher along the ecliptic. Can you spot Mercury far lower right of Venus? It's best visible between the 6th and the 14th. 5 EVENING: Algol shines at minimum brightness for roughly two hours centered at 9:21 p.m. PST (see page 50). 8 EVENING: Algol shines at minimum brightness for roughly two hours centered at 9:10 p.m. EST. 10 DUSK: Mercury reaches greatest eastern elongation from the Sun, and half an hour after sunset it's still more than 10°° above the west-southwestern horizon. Catch the tiny world before it sets. 16 DAWN: The Moon is in Scorpius, a mere degree or so from Beta (β) Sco, also known as Graffias. 18 DAWN: The waning crescent Moon occults Mars for most viewers in North and Central America (see pages 47 and 50). 19 DAWN: The thinning Moon and Jupiter sit some 3° to 4° apart left of the Teapot in Sagittarius. 20 DAWN: An even more slender lunar crescent lies some 2° lower right of Saturn. Catch the pair in the southeast before the Sun rises. 27 DUSK: Watch as the waxing lunar crescent and Venus, 5° or more apart, sink toward the western horizon. 28 EVENING: Algol shines at minimum brightness for roughly two hours centered at 7:55 p.m. PST (10:55 p.m. EST). - DIANA HANNIKAINEN p Provided skies are clear this month, most of North America will see Mars gradually disappear behind the Moon's limb, then reappear. This timelapse image is from the 2003 Mars occultation (south is down). RON DANTOWITZ sk yandtelescope.com * FEBRUARY 2 02 0 41http://www.skyandtelescope.com