The best time you will ever have in the dark
February 2026 is shaping up to be a great month for viewing the planets and stars in the dark, clear Fredericksburg night sky. With our Hill Country elevation and relatively low light pollution, this is one of the best places in Texas to enjoy the wonders above.
The largest planet, Jupiter, will be visible all night long, from sunset to sunrise, starting out in the eastern sky and ending in the west. It will be brighter than any other celestial object except the moon or Venus and will truly stand out among the stars. One reason Jupiter is so striking is that, unlike stars, its light does not twinkle. I have often believed that Jupiter may have been the “star” the wise men followed while searching for the Christ child centuries ago.
Another major planet visible this February is the ringed planet Saturn. It will appear in the western sky after sunset and set after midnight, following the sun. Unfortunately, Saturn’s rings will look very narrow this year because they are aligned almost edge-on with Earth. Usually, as Saturn orbits the sun, the rings tilt above or below our line of sight, making them appear wide and spectacular. That will not be the case in 2026. In fact, when Galileo first observed Saturn through his crude early telescope, the image was so poor that he believed the planet had “ears,” a theory that persisted for nearly 100 years until better telescopes were developed. Saturn takes 29 Earth years to orbit the sun just once, due to both its much larger orbit and its greater distance from the sun, which causes it to move more slowly under the sun’s gravitational pull.
Other February 2026 night-sky highlights include the bright blue star Regulus in the constellation Leo, which will be occulted—blacked out—by the moon on February 2. Saturn will also appear close to the moon that same evening. Later in the month, the Gemini twin stars, Castor and Pollux, will be visible just above and to the left of the moon in the eastern sky.
The most famous constellation of all, Orion the Hunter, will be visible throughout the night, along with his two hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor. These constellations are home to Sirius, the brightest star in the winter night sky. Sirius’ brilliant blue color tells us it is both extremely hot and relatively young.
Back here on Earth, February in Fredericksburg should be excellent for stargazing. Most weather experts are predicting a milder, drier winter due to a La Niña pattern, which typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Texas Hill Country. That means clearer skies and more opportunities to enjoy the night.
