Do you find yourself often under the influence of the moon and stars? If you draw your inner power or inner peace from the fluctuations in the sky above, February has a lot in store for you. This month offers some super special astronomical events.
THE FIRST SUPERMOON OF 2020
February welcomed us with an extremely illuminated Supermoon. It appeared the second weekend of February but don’t worry if you missed it. This won’t be the last Supermoon of the year. The next one comes March 9 with another in May.
Supermoons aren’t much different than full moons—they just appear brighter than usual, and some believe their super visibility also means lunar energy is heightened.
OCCULTATION OF MARS
There’s another big event slated for tomorrow night’s sky: the Occultation of Mars. In North America, you’ll need to get up before sunrise to witness Mars disappear behind the waning crescent moon. It’ll also require a pair of binoculars, or better yet, a telescope. The occultation usually takes a little over an hour, and you’ll know it’s done when the red planet finally reappears on the other side of the moon.
For Aries and Scorpio, this temporary eclipse over your ruling planet can mean a sudden loss of motivation, unexplainable mood swings, and even some minimal physical weakness, but thankfully, the occultation of Mars is going to be quick and painless.
NEW MOON IN PISCES
The next new moon is set to unveil itself within the stars of Pisces on February 23, which means anyone with a creative spirit will find themselves more inspired and determined to create something new this month.
Anytime a new moon rises, it’s prime time to launch a new project or get started with something you’ve always wanted to accomplish. If you haven’t found the best time to get started with something, take the chance this month, and plan something big for February 23.
CLEAR LEAP YEAR SKIES FOR STARGAZING
As you probably know by now, 2020 is a leap year, which means February gains an extra night. What does this mean for anyone who gets their inspiration from the stars? Well, if you have always looked to the stars for motivation, guidance, and creative inspiration, February 29 is a special time to go stargazing.
In other parts of the world, other cultures celebrate this special day with unique traditions. You may have heard of women proposing to their partners on leap day (or in this case, leap night), while other cultures look at leap day as though it were their version of Halloween.
However, if you don’t celebrate anything in particular on leap day, consider stargazing.
BONUS: METEOR SHOWERS TO WATCH
February won’t be the only month in 2020 to feature some unique astronomical events. This year, we get three special meteor showers to observe.
From April 22 to 23, the first meteor shower of this year will be brought to us by the Lyrids, which will be highly visible in the Southern Hemisphere. The meteor shower often occurs within the period of April 16 to 25, but often peaks two or three days before the 25th of the month.
This memorable event is followed by yet another popular meteor shower that often takes place in August. If you have always wanted to witness the Perseid meteor shower, mark your calendars on August 12 to 13. The Perseid meteor shower is best viewed if you are anywhere within the Northern Hemisphere.
Finally, the year will close with a bright and dramatic meteor shower from one of the world’s most anticipated meteor shower events: the peak of the Geminids. If the cold doesn’t bother you, prepare for a beautiful light show on the night of December 13 to 14.
