As February draws to a close, Venus and Mars are shining close together in the west after sunset, but the evening sky belongs to Jupiter. Already shining brightly in the east as darkness falls, by late evening it is high in the south, looking like a brilliant blue-white star. You really can't mistake anything else for it.
Greedy Jupiter has 63 moons, and through binoculars it is possible to see the giant planet's four largest. Not every night though; the number visible to us changes as they orbit Jupiter, so when you look you might see all four, or just a couple. For example, late evening on March 1 you'll see a pair of moons on either side of Jupiter. And at least one of those moons might have life beneath its ice...
Stuart Atkinson
Eddington Astronomical Society of Kendal
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