Stargazing Date Ideas for Valentine's Day 2020
Valentine's Day is coming! Any gift ideas? There's nothing more romantic than stargazing with someone you love. Invite your sweetheart on a date night under a beautiful sparkling sky and explore the wonders of the Universe together. Here’s a quick guide on what to see in the sky on Valentine's night.
First of all, choose the best place for stargazing date near you. It should be an open, dark location away from the city lights. Don't forget about a blanket and some warm clothes. Grab binoculars for a closer look if you wish. Make sure that your device with the stargazing app Star Walk 2 on it is fully charged. On February 13 and 14, 2020, the paid app Star Walk 2 will be on sale. Don’t miss a chance to get the app at the lowest price and have a happy Valentine's Day!
What’s up in the sky on Valentine's Day 2020?
There are a lot of celestial objects that you can see with the naked eyes or with binoculars on Valentine’s night. Just enter the name of the object in the search of the stargazing app Star Walk 2 and it will indicate where to look to find it.
Planets
Start with a planet which is known as the “queen of the sky” due to its brightness. It's about Venus. The brilliant planet will gleam in the southwestern sky after sunset. For observers from Earth Venus is one of the brightest points of light in the night sky.
Try to catch the innermost Mercury. The smallest planet in the Solar system can be seen in the evening sky every night this week. Find it above the west-southwestern horizon after sunset.
Constellations and stars
In the west-northwestern evening sky, you’ll see the constellation Andromeda. It is located above the upper corner of the large asterism known as the Square of Pegasus. Andromeda is one of the largest constellations, with an area of 722 square degrees.
The constellation Perseus sits above Andromeda. Find its brightest star Mirfak (Alpha Persei) in the centre. Nearby are the constellations Cassiopeia and Cepheus.
Gemini is fairly easy to spot in the sky, even for amateur stargazers. Find the constellation to the upper left of Orion. The easiest way to locate Gemini is to find its two brightest stars Castor and Pollux.
Take a look at the brightest star in the night sky — Sirius. White to blue-white star is a part of the constellation Canis Major and is known as the "dog star".
Other celestial treats
Try to find the Rosette Nebula, a large cloud of red gas and dust whose appearance resembles a rose flower. It is located in the constellation Monoceros and is visible in binoculars. The dimming star Betelgeuse can be found near the Rosette Nebula.
One more object to see in the constellation Monoceros is an open cluster of stars known as Messier 50 (M50, NGC 2323). M50 is sometimes described as a 'heart-shaped' figure or a blunt arrowhead.
Enjoy your romantic night under the stars with Star Walk 2. Happy Valentine's Day!