February 14
The Twin Gold
Sun Position
The Sun is in Aquarius near +9° declination. Northern hemisphere nights still dominate; southern days ease toward autumn.
Sky Highlight
No annual event today. On February 14, 1990, Voyager 1 took the 'Pale Blue Dot' photograph, a fitting anniversary for a date often dedicated to love. Algieba, tonight's star, is one of the most rewarding double-star targets in the winter sky.
Deep Sky Object
M66, a spiral galaxy about 36 million light-years away. The largest and brightest of the Leo Triplet, M66 shows clear asymmetry from the gravitational pull of its neighbors, with one spiral arm lifted out of the galaxy's plane. Visible from both hemispheres in late winter and spring.
Featured Star
Algieba (γ Leo) is a binary system 130 light-years away, an orange giant (K1IIIb) paired with a yellow giant (G7IIIb), orbiting each other over roughly 510 years. Two golden giants locked in a half-millennium waltz, visible through any telescope, the lion's mane, doubled.
Around This Date
- February 14, 2000NEAR Shoemaker became the first spacecraft to orbit an asteroid, entering orbit around 433 Eros on Valentine's Day and beginning a year of close observation before its historic surface landing in 2001.
- February 14, 1990At Carl Sagan's request, Voyager 1 turned its camera toward Earth from 6 billion kilometers and captured the 'Pale Blue Dot', one of the most widely circulated photographs ever taken.
On a day people give each other small bright things, the lion's mane offers two golden giants, orbit each other for 510 years, see how that feels.