February 3, 2026: At winter’s midpoint, the gibbous moon moves away from Regulus while Jupiter and Saturn shine during evening hours. Viewing tips and timing.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 7:01 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:09 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Winter’s Astronomical Midpoint
After yesterday’s traditional marking of winter’s midpoint, the astronomical midpoint of the season occurs today at 8:55 p.m. Central Time — only 45 days remain until astronomical spring, when the sun crosses the equator heading northward.
Morning Moon, Regulus
After the moon’s occultation of Regulus, Leo’s brightest star, the pair is in the western sky during morning twilight. The bright lunar orb, 97% illuminated, is over 20° above the west horizon and 4.4° to the star’s upper left. Compare this separation to the wider gap visible after sunset.
At this hour, Jupiter is below the west-northwest horizon. While the planet outshines all stars in the night sky, including Sirius, it sets earlier each morning.
Jupiter After Sunset
An hour after sunset, the Jovian Giant is less than halfway from the eastern horizon to overhead. It retrogrades in front of Gemini, 9.1° to Pollux’s upper right and 10.4° to Castor’s lower right, the Twins. This apparent westward motion ends on March 10th.
Jupiter is high in the south about five hours after sunset. It sets in the west-northwest nearly three hours before daybreak.
Saturn
Meanwhile, during evening twilight, Saturn — the second bright planet in the sky tonight — is about 30° above the west-southwest horizon. The Ringed Wonder continues to show its rings through a telescope, although the planet is past its best viewing for this apparition. The rings appear as a thick line that seems to run through the planet. Saturn reaches solar conjunction on March 25th.
Moon, Regulus After Sunset
Rising over two hours after sunset, the bright moon, 94% illuminated, is farther from Regulus. Wait at least another hour for the moon to clear low obstructions. The lunar orb is 14° to the star’s lower left. This wider separation opened as the moon moved eastward while it was below the horizon.
As the moon rises later each night with this gibbous phase, short viewing windows reopen to see faint Neptune through a binocular before it sinks into thicker air and eventually evening twilight.
Look for Jupiter, Saturn, and the gibbous moon during the nighttime hours at winter’s halfway point.
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