Derekscope

• Lunar X and Lunar V
  Sunlight catches rims at lunar first quarter to create the bright V and X shapes.

• Best viewing time in the UK
  The feature remains visible for about 4 hours in total, beginning to fade as the sun rises higher on the lunar surface, typically fading completely by 11:30am.
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  Date:
  Tuesday 24th February 2026
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  Start formation (become visible):
  07:30 / 7.30am
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  Peak visibility (fully formed as best contrast):
  09:30 / 9.30am
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  Fade disappearing:
  11:30 / 11.30am
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  Visible:
  Difficult (viewing low on the horizon)
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• The Moon repeats its cycle every 29½ days, so these effects happen every month, just on slightly different dates – see the complete full timetable for 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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• Equipment
  While sometimes visible with high-power binoculars, a telescope is recommended to see the fine detail of the crater rims forming the Lunar X and V.
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• Moon & Seven Sisters (M45) – the pair will be visible after dusk, high in the southwest sky.
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• They’ll remain visible for several hours before setting after midnight.
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• One of its moons (Ganymede) will come out from behind the planet.
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• It looks like a tiny dot of light slowly appearing beside Jupiter.
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• With a small telescope or big binoculars, you can see it slowly moving.
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• Mercury reaches its highest altitude in the evening sky.
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• This makes tonight one of the best evenings for UK observers to catch Mercury in twilight.
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• Just after sunset, look west – Mercury will be at its easiest to spot for this apparition, low in the western sky.
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• BSL Version

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• Conjunction of the Moon and Saturn – both will be relatively low in the sky, so clear horizon to the west will help.
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• Binoculars will enhance the view, but Saturn’s rings won’t be visible without a telescope.
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• A 3‑day crescent next to Saturn makes a lovely, gentle pairing – a conjunction.
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• They’re low in the west (Clear horizon, binocular recommended.)
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• Mercury will reach its greatest eastern elongation today, appearing 18° east of the Sun in the evening sky.
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• This will be the best evening apparition of Mercury for the Northern Hemisphere in 2026.
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• Both planets will be visible low in the western sky after sunset.
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• Venus will shine brilliantly as the “Evening Star,” while Mercury will be fainter but still noticeable nearby.
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• Mercury lower down, and the crescent Moon between them – a perfect outreach opportunity.
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• Use binoculars to help after the sky fades.
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• BSL Version

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• Annual Solar Eclipse today
  Not visible from the UK but worth saving the date in August this year.
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• Although today’s annual solar eclipse can’t be seen from Britain, our next UK visible solar eclipse is on Wednesday 12 August 2026.
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• It will be a large partial eclipse across the UK, with the Sun taking a dramatic bite in the evening.
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• BSL Version

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• A vertical straight‑line alignment occurs when three of the Galilean moons — usually Io, Europa, Ganymede, or Callisto — appear in a single straight line.
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