February 13, 2026: Before sunrise, a thin crescent moon appears low in the southeast near Sagittarius. After sunset, Mercury nears greatest elongation while Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus shape the evening sky.
by Jeffrey L. Hunt
Chicago, Illinois: Sunrise, 6:49 a.m. CST; Sunset, 5:21 p.m. CST. Times are calculated by the US Naval Observatory’s MICA computer program. Check local sources for sunrise and sunset times.
Morning Crescent
Before sunrise, the crescent moon is low in the southeast. One hour before daybreak, the moon, 16% illuminated, is less than 10° above the horizon. Find a clear view in that direction. The lunar crescent is in front of Sagittarius, near the Teapot, a modern moniker for the Archer’s brightest stars.
Use a binocular to look for Nunki and Kaus Borealis.
Tomorrow, the moon is difficult to see at this same interval before sunrise. The plane of the solar system, known as the ecliptic, has a low angle relative to the eastern horizon. The moon reaches the New Moon phase on the 17th, beginning lunation 1276. This lunar cycle signals the Lunar New Year with an annular (ring) solar eclipse across Antarctica and a partial eclipse across the Indian Ocean, southern Africa, and southern South America.
Mars is slowly entering the morning sky, but it rises only 15 minutes before the sun. The Red Planet makes its first clear morning appearances during late spring.
Mercury and Saturn After Sunset
After sunset, Mercury is nearing its best appearance of this apparition. At 45 minutes after sundown, the Elusive Planet is over 5° above the west-southwest horizon. At this same interval during the next several evenings, Mercury is higher in the sky, reaching greatest elongation on the 19th.
Look carefully for Mercury. It is bright enough to shine through the colors of evening twilight. A binocular might be needed to initially locate it.
Saturn is over 20° above the west-southwest horizon and over 18° to Mercury’s upper left. It is about 15% of Mercury’s brightness, but easier to see without the strongest effects of twilight. Saturn is past prime telescope viewing. At lower altitudes, the atmosphere dims and blurs celestial bodies. The rings are visible through a telescope, but the view is likely not very clear.
Neptune is in the same binocular field with Saturn, but its view is diminished by evening twilight and the filtering effects of Earth’s atmosphere.
Venus is slowly emerging from bright sunlight, but it sets 43 minutes after sundown.
Bright Jupiter in East
Until the Evening Star returns, Jupiter is the brightest planet in the night sky. It shines in the eastern sky after sundown near Castor and Pollux, the Gemini Twins. The Jovian Giant continues to retrograde for about another month. Use a binocular to watch its westward motion relative to the dimmer star Wasat.
After twilight ends, about 90 minutes after sunset, Uranus is easy to see in the same binocular field of view with the Pleiades star cluster in Taurus. The planet appears as an aquamarine star near stars 13 and 14 Tauri (Tau).
Before sunrise, find the crescent moon in the southeastern sky. After sundown, look for Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter, and Uranus.
Planet Parade at Month’s End?
Late in February, the so-called planet parade consists of planets scattered across the sky rather than aligned or grouped in any meaningful way, even though several are visible during the same evening hours. Jupiter and the moon are the clear standouts, shining high and bright after sunset, while other planets require careful timing and unobstructed horizons. Claims of a rare string of planets across the sky exaggerate what observers can actually see. The February 8 Sky Almanac lays out the geometry, visibility limits, and practical expectations for skywatchers at month’s end.
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