Calendar of Events
The Kootenai Stargazers Astronomy Club meets the third Friday of each month.
Upcoming Meetings and presentations
- The monthly Astronomy Club meetings have been suspended until the Covid-19 situation settles down a little more.
- Stay tuned for additional updates. Thank you for your patience.
What's Up in the Night Sky
- Note: Observations are good for the lower 48 states, but more accurate for the Northwest Area.
- Feb 1 – The constellation Orion is high the southeast right after dark. To the left of Orion is the constellation Gemini. A Deep Sky Object, Orion's Nebula, can be seen with the naked eye or binoculars. This nebula is one of the brightest in the night sky; 1,344 light years away and is the closest region of massive star formation to the Earth. It is estimated to be 24 light years across and has a mass of about 2,000 times that of the Sun. Find Orion's Belt. Look south of the Belt, and you will find Orion's Nebula.
- The only planet visible to the naked eye or binoculars in February is Mars. It is a pale yellow-orange, high in the southwest sky after dark and sets around 1 a.m.
- Moon: New Moon – Feb 11. Full Moon - Feb 27.
April 8, 2024 Next Total Solar Eclipse in the United States
- Future Total Eclipses in the United States
- See our Links page for additional information
