2025, February 17:  Morning Moon-Spica Conjunction, Evening Planet Parade Last Call

February 17: A Moon-Spica conjunction occurs before sunrise in the southwest.  This rendition of the evening planet parade is making its last call.

Planets during Lunar eclipse
The moon and Mars were near each other during the lunar eclipse on April 15, 2014. Click the image to see the eclipsed moon, Spica, and Mars.

by Jeffrey L. Hunt

Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:43 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:27 p.m. CST.  Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program.

Morning Moon-Spica Conjunction

Moon-Spica Conjunction, February 17, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, February 17: The moon is near Spica before sunrise.

Before daybreak, the gibbous moon, 79% illuminated, is near the star Spica, Virgo’s brightest. The lunar orb is 1.2° to the star’s lower right.

Bright moonlight may overwhelm the view of the star.  Use a binocular to see them together.

For sky watchers in southern South America and South Pacific islands, the moon occults or eclipses the star.  This is the 10th occultation of Spica in a series of 20 eclipses, lasting through November.

Planet Parade’s Last Call

Planet Parade
Chart Caption – 2025, February 17: Venus and Saturn shine from the west-southwest after nightfall.

This rendition of the parade of four bright planets is ending as Saturn slides into evening twilight.  At 45 minutes after sunset, the Ringed Wonder is about 9° up in the west-southwest.  When it falls under 5° at this time interval after sundown, it is not easily visible because the atmosphere toward the horizon blurs and dims celestial bodies.  Saturn falls under this range in less than a week.  Look for this evening planet parade as it makes its last call.

Mercury replaces Saturn as the fourth bright planet during March.  The speedy planet emerges from bright sunlight, passing Saturn during bright twilight on the 24th.  On that night, Mercury is visible through a binocular, but dusk’s early light is brighter than Saturn.

Tonight, Saturn sets 96 minutes after sunset, while Mercury leaves the sky 65 minutes earlier.

Venus

Venus, Moon, February 1, 2025
Photo Caption – 2025, February 1: Venus and crescent moon after sunset.

Venus gleams brightly in the southwestern sky, nearly 30° above the horizon and almost 20° above Saturn.  Venus reaches its greatest brilliancy tomorrow evening.  The planet is exceedingly bright and easily outshines all other starlike bodies tonight.

Through a telescope, the planet displays an evening crescent phase that is 26% illuminated.  Its brightness is a combination of the planet’s distance, nearly 38 million miles and the size of the illuminated portion of the planet.

Jupiter

Planet Parade
Chart Caption – 2025, February 17: Bright Jupiter is in the south-southeast with Taurus after sunset.

This evening, Jupiter, the second brightest starlike body, is high in the south-southeast.  It slowly treks eastward in front of Taurus, 5.2° to Aldebaran’s upper left, the Bull’s brightest star.  During the next few months, watch the Jovian Giant open a gap with Aldebaran as it approaches Elnath and Zeta Tauri, the horns.  It passes between them as it disappears into bright twilight during May.

Planet Parade
Chart Caption – 2025, February 17: Mars is in the eastern sky with Castor and Pollux, the Gemini Twins.

Mars, the fourth bright planet, is over 35° to Jupiter’s lower left and over halfway up in the east.  It retrogrades in front of Gemini, 6.9° to Pollux’s upper right and 7.1° to Castor’s right.  Mars’ illusion of retrograde continues through the 23rd.

From Saturn to Mars, the four bright planets span nearly 118° along the ecliptic, the plane of the solar system.

As Earth rotates, the planets move westward.  Venus sets 226 minutes after sunset.  Jupiter sets in the west-northwest several hours before sunrise, while Mars sets before the beginning of morning twilight.

Moon near Midnight

Moon, Spica, February 17, 2025
Chart Caption – 2025, February 17: As midnight approaches, the gibbous moon is near the horizon to Spica’s lower left.

The gibbous moon, 73% illuminated, rises over four hours after nightfall.  Around midnight, it is low in the east-southeast, over 9° to Spica’s lower left.  Notice the gap it opened since this morning.

Get your last view of the four bright planets as they parade westward during the night.

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