Celebration of Space - February 6, 2026
SpaceX predawn launch from Cape Canaveral, FL over Frosty Drew Observatory. Image Credit: Frosty Drew Astronomy Team member, Jessica Waleryszak, captured this image during a Messier Marathon event.
On Wednesday, February 11, 2026 at 6:00 am EST, the launch window opens for the four-person Crew-12 launch to the International Space Station. The launch will occur at Cape Canaveral, FL and should be visible for most of the East Coast, including Southern New England. To catch a view of the launch vehicle zooming by, head out to a location with a clear view of the south → east horizon, and be there for 6:00 am. About 5 minutes after launch the Falcon 9 launch vehicle should become visible over the southeast horizon, moving northward. At Frosty Drew, the Falcon 9 will reach a visible altitude of 21º about 9 minutes after launch. Of course you will need a clear sky in that direction for a good view. Also note that launches do not always happen on time, so check in that morning at https://spacexnow.com/upcoming before setting out to be sure that the launch is still scheduled for 6:00 am.
This coming week, China’s National Space Administration (CSNA) Tiangong space station will commence visible evening passes over the USA, including Southern New England. Even though Tiangong is not quite as large as the International Space Station (ISS), it is modular, and continues to increase in size. As such, Tiangong is almost as bright as the ISS when passing overhead. Here are several notable passes for the coming week:
Mon, Feb 9 at 7:08 pm, starting in the SW, rising to 21º, and into orbital sunset
Tue, Feb 10 at 6:10 pm, starting in the SSW,. Rising to 21º, heading towards the ESE, and into orbital sunset
Wed. Feb 11 at 6:48 pm, starting in the WSW, rising to 50º, and into orbital sunset
Thu, Feb 12 at 5:50 pm, starting in the SW, rising to 34º, heading towards the E
Mark your calendars and set your alarms to step outside this week to catch a view of one of the space based residences that orbit Earth, and be inspired to do great things!
Over the past month have you noticed that bright flickering star to the south? If you have, it really stands out quite prominently among all other stars in the night sky. This star is Sirius, the brightest star in Earth’s nighttime sky. Sirius is found in the constellation Canis Major – one of Orion’s hunting dogs. If you are to look at the constellation and find the shape of the dog, Sirius would be located where the dog’s tag on its collar would be. Because of this, Sirius is also known as The Dog Star.
Sirius is one of the closest stars to the Solar System, residing at 8.6 light years distant. Its Bayer designation is Alpha Canis Major, and it has an A-type spectral classification, which makes the color of Sirius appear a white-blue. Sirius is twice the mass of the Sun and is about 25 times as bright. Sirius, like most stars, is not alone in its system, and has a companion star called Sirius B. Though Sirius B died about 120 million years ago leaving behind a white dwarf star, which is the dead core of the star that is now exposed to space. This makes Sirius B the closest white dwarf star to the Solar System. In a telescope, Sirius will appear significantly bright, with the white dwarf – colloquially called “The Pup” being visible with some fancy eyepiece and telescope trickery. Take a moment to step outside this week on a clear night and look to the south around 9:00 pm. Sirius will be about 31º over the horizon, flickering away. Note that in the constellation Gemini you will find Jupiter this year, and it will appear much brighter than Sirius. Be sure not to confuse the two. In contrast, Sirius will be lower in the south than Jupiter, will flicker a lot more, and will appear to have more of a blue hue. Let us know if you get a chance to see it.
