What's Happening in Space: February 2025

A summary of space events through the month

This February, resident Space Expert, Dhara Patel, joins us once again to share star gazing opportunities and the latest space happenings!

Throughout February – Spot the International Space Station

From Leicester, there may be sightings throughout December to spot the International Space Station (ISS) moving across the sky. Download NASA’s Spot the Station app using the App Store or Google Play to find out when and where to spot the largest artificial satellite overhead from your location. It’ll look like a bright star moving relatively quickly across the sky (generally from west to east) and will be visible to the naked eye.

Throughout February – Stargazing challenges

Each month, we'll be sharing some stargazing challenges for everyone to have a go at. From spotting the Moon and familiar star patterns, to catching meteor showers and eclipses. Check out our Stargazing Challenges – February 2026 blog for more details.

7^th - 11^th February – Artemis 2 launch

Artemis 2 will be the first crewed flight in the Artemis Program. Launching on the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, the Orion module spacecraft will carry NASA Astronauts commander Reid Wiseman, pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, making a 10-day journey around the Moon and back to Earth. Though they won’t be landing on the Moon, the astronauts will be helping to test many of the onboard systems including communication, life support, and navigation. A successful mission will pave the way for Artemis 3, scheduled for 2027 at the earliest, where humans will once again step foot on the Moon. The SLS and Orion spacecraft are currently on the launch pad undergoing a wet dress rehearsal. This is where technicians load the vehicle with fuel before running through a countdown to launch to check everything is working ahead of launch day, when the crew will be onboard. This wet dress rehearsal should be concluded by 2 February after which, assuming all is well, a launch date should be set within the scheduled 5-day window in February. If there are issues, the vehicle may be rolled back into the Vehicle Assembly Building where updates and repairs will be made with a view of launching during later launch windows in early March or April. Finger crossed, Artemis 2 will take off from Kennedy Space Centre, Florida during the early hours of a date between 7-11 February. The earliest possible two-hour launch window opens at 2:41 on 7 February UK-time. You can find out more in our blog Artemis: Returning Humans to the Moon blog written by Ed Kellond-Turner in our Education team.

11^th February – SpaceX Crew-12 launch

The twelfth crewed operational flight of a Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program includes NASA astronauts commander Jack Hathaway and pilot Jessica Meir, and mission specialists Sophie Adenot of ESA and Andrey Fedyaev of Russia's Roscosmos. They are scheduled to launch on board the Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Centre at 11:00 (UK time) on 11^th February. During their 6-month stint to the ISS, the crew will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future missions to the Moon, as well as benefit people on Earth. Since the previous crew had to return to Earth a month early due to an undisclosed "medical situation" involving a crew member, the launch of these 4 astronauts will bring the ISS back up to its full 7-crew operation, with NASA's Christopher Williams and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and Sergei Mikayev of the Russian Space Agency having held the fort, conducting just the necessary tasks to keep the station ticking along in the interim.

17^th February – Spot Comet Wierzchos

Comet Wierzchos (C/2024 E1) reaches its closest approach to the Earth on 17 February. Having already made its closest pass of the Sun in January on its journey into the Solar System it brightened significantly but not enough to become visible to the naked it. On 17 February is will pass roughly 150 million km from Earth (about the Same distance that the Sun is from the Earth) and will appear very low on the southwestern horizon around sunset. Be sure to have a clear with of the horizon to spot it – use a star app to help you locate it. From a dark sky location, the comet should be visible with the aid of a small backyard telescope. Comet Wierzchos will be positioned below the constellation of Cetus, near the constellation of Sculptor, in the southwest. In the following days, it’s brightness will continue to dim as it travels back out into the Solar System away from the warming influence of the Sun.

19^th February – Moon and Saturn close in the sky (with Mercury and Venus nearby)

The Moon will be in conjunction (sharing the same right ascension – coordinate) with Saturn just after the turn of midnight on 20 February but the pair will have set below the horizon by this time. Instead look towards the west as the Sun begins to set on 19 February to spot Saturn sitting to the left of the very thin waxing crescent moon. The duo will be quite close to the horizon when they become visible so be sure to have a clear view of the western horizon to have a good chance of spotting them. By just after 19:00 they’ll have set, so be sure to catch them before then. If you’re out observing around 18:00 you may also be able to spot Venus which will be lying on the horizon (so could easily be missed) and Mercury which will be sitting about halfway between the Moon and Venus. All are visible to the naked eye, but you’ll need to find the sweet spot of it being dark enough to spot their light vs. it being early enough that they’re still high enough above the horizon to see. Find out more about close approaches and conjunctions in our Astronomical phenomena blog written by David Southworth in our Education team.

26^th February – Moon and Jupiter close in the sky

The waxing gibbous moon will be observable near Jupiter in the southeast during the evening of 26 February – appearing as the Sun begins to set. They will be nice and high in the south around 20:00 making it an ideal time to look for them. The Moon will be in conjunction (sharing the same right ascension – coordinate) with Jupiter on the following morning and will reach its closest approach shortly after but the pair will be below the horizon then. So, the best time to spot Jupiter with the Moon is on the evening of 26 February when the moon will be to the right of Jupiter or on the evening of 27 February when the moon will have moved to be on the left of Jupiter. Both will be visible to the naked eye and will remain up through the night past midnight. Check out the astronomical phenomena blog linked above to find out more about close approaches and conjunctions and other astronomical phenomena.