Saturday SkyWatch
Saturday 7th February 2026
🌌 Saturday SkyWatch! 🌌
🌅 Sunset & Observatory Hours
- Sunset: 8:14 PM
- Nautical Sunset: 9:21 PM
- Astronomical Sunset: 9:57 PM
This Saturday we will be open from sunset till 11pm.
☁️ Weather & Viewing Conditions
B.O.M. Forecast for The Rock: http://www.bom.gov.au/places/nsw/the-rock/
To learn how to read the Clear Outside forecast page, follow this link: https://clearoutside.com/page/how_to_use/
Moon Phase
Tonight’s Moon is a Waning Gibbous (70%). It is 19.6 days old and rises at 10:52 PM. This means a dark sky for our observations, making it easier to see faint objects.
ℹ️ Other Information
We recommend to bring a jacket as the weather can been tricky. As always feel free to bring a picnic blanket, some snacks and non-alcoholic refreshments. Please don’t forget to bring your Aeroguard or Bushmans in case of mosquitoes or other annoying insects.
🔭 In the Sky Tonight
Note that just because these objects are in the sky at the moment, you may not always see them. Visibility is dependent on weather, moon brightness, atmospheric conditions, and equipment parameters. Check the weather and viewing conditions above, and if in doubt ask a friendly volunteer if you’re able to see an object in the night sky!
Feature Object: M 41 (Crab Nebula)
M1, also known as the Crab Nebula (Tadpoles nebula), is a fascinating celestial object (Supernova Remnant) with a rich history and complex structure 4.9 – 8.1 kly away. M1 is the remnant of a powerful supernova explosion that was observed and recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054 AD. This explosion marked the death of a massive star. At the center of the Crab Nebula lies a rapidly spinning neutron star called a pulsar, a rapidly rotating neutron star. This pulsar emits powerful beams of radiation and particles, creating a “wind” that interacts with the surrounding nebula, shaping its structure and causing it to glow. The nebula’s name comes from its appearance through early telescopes, which reminded some observers of a crab’s pincers. It has a complex, filamentary structure composed of gas and dust ejected during the supernova explosion. These filaments are rich in elements like hydrogen, oxygen, and sulfur making it glow in various colors (different elements emit different colors of light) due to the interaction of the pulsar’s wind with the surrounding material.
Prominent Constellations
Taurus, Orion, Carina, Tucana, Dorado, Gemini, Centaurus, Musca, Vela, Sculptor, Cetus, Reticulum, Fornax, Canis Major, Puppis, Monoceros, Pisces, Lepus, Columba, Horologium, Crux, Apus, Chamaeleon, Eridanus
Celestron Alignment Stars
Acrux, Betelgeuse, Deneb, Achernar, Bellatrix, Menkar
Other Bright Stars
Adhara, Aldebaran, Alhena, Alnair, Alnilam, Alnitak, Alphard, Aludra, Ankaa, Avior, Canopus, El Nath, Fomalhaut, Gacrux, Miaplacidus, Mintaka, Mirzam, Naos, Pollux, Procyon, Regor, Rigel, Saiph, Scutulum, Sirius, Suhail, Wezen
Open Clusters
M 45 (Pleiades), M 35 (Shoe Buckle Cluster), C 100 (Running Chicken Nebula), NGC 3766 (Pearl Cluster), NGC 3532 (Wishing Well Cluster), NGC 2516 (Southern Beehive), C 85 (Omicron Velorum Cluster), C 102 (Southern Pleiades), M 41 (Little Beehive Cluster), M 46, M 47, M 50 (Heart-Shaped Cluster), M 93 (Critter Cluster), C 41 (Hyades), NGC 2506, NGC 2360, NGC 2362 (Tau CMa Cluster), NGC 2477, Cr 69, Cr 70, NGC 3293 (Northern Jewel Box)
Globular Clusters
NGC 104 (47 Tucanae), NGC 4372, M 79, NGC 1851, NGC 1261, NGC 362, NGC 4833 (The Southern Butterfly), NGC 6101
Galaxies
NGC 253 (Sculptor Galaxy), NGC 55 (String of Pearls), NGC 300 (Sculptor Pinwheel Galaxy), NGC 7793 (Bond s Galaxy), NGC 1313 (The Topsy Turvy Galaxy), NGC 1365 (Great Barred Spiral Galaxy), NGC 1097, M 74 (Phantom Galaxy), M 77 (Cetus A), C 51, NGC 292 (Small Magellanic Cloud), NGC 1269 (Snow Collar Galaxy), LMC (Large Magellanic Cloud)
Active and Interacting Galaxies
NGC 1566 (Doradus Cluster), NGC 247 (Needle s Eye Galaxy), NGC 1316 (Fornax A)
Bright Nebula
M 1 (Crab Nebula), M 42 (Orion Nebula), NGC 3372 (Eta Carinae), NGC 2070 (Tarantula Nebula), M 43 (De Mairan’s Nebula), M 78 (Flame Nebula), NGC 2261 (Hubble s Variable Neb)
Dark Nebula
C 99 (Coal Sack), B 22 (Taurus Dark Cloud), B33 (Horsehead Nebula)
Planetary Nebula
NGC 246, NGC 2867, NGC 3195
Planets
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune
🪐 Upcoming Astronomical Events for the month
2 Feb Full ‘Snow’ Moon: Rises in the sign of Leo, visible nationwide with a potential “halo” effect.
8 Feb Alpha Centaurids Meteor Shower: Best seen in the pre-dawn sky, with fast, bright meteors.
11 Feb Lunar Occultation of Antares: The Moon passes in front of the bright red star Antares.
17 Feb Annular Solar Eclipse: A “Ring of Fire” eclipse occurs, mostly visible over Antarctica and the southern Indian Ocean.
17 Feb New Moon: Ideal conditions for stargazing due to low moonlight interference.
19 Feb Mercury at Greatest Elongation East: Best time to spot Mercury in the evening sky.
20 Feb Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn: A close pairing of the Moon and Saturn.
27 Feb Conjunction of the Moon and Jupiter: The Moon passes by Jupiter in the constellation Gemini.
28 Feb Planetary Alignment: Six planets (Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune) form an arc in the night sky.
All Month Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos): Visible throughout the month at Mag 5.3 in the sky to the SW.
3 Mar Total Lunar Eclipse. Click for more details
Note: All other astronomical events occurring this week are not visible from the Southern Hemisphere, or only visible through the daytime.
As always, don’t forget to look up wherever you are!
– The TRRO Team
References
List data is gathered using ‘Starry Night Enthusiast V8.1.0.2048’, Google AI and the following links.
Time and Date https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/@-35.27,147.12
B.O.M. https://www.bom.gov.au/places/nsw/the-rock/
Clear Outside https://clearoutside.com/forecast/-35.27/147.12
Objects below 15o azimuth are not included.