Monthly Night Sky information provided by Chris Vaughan (@Astrogeoguy) at Starry Night Education (@StarryNightEdu).

- This event has passed.
Watch Algol Fade (from 6:56 to 11:56 pm EST)
February 16 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
The star Algol in the constellation of Perseus represents the glowing eye of Medusa from Greek mythology. Also designated Beta Persei, it is among the most accessible variable stars for skywatchers. During a ten-hour period that repeats like clockwork every 2 days, 20 hours, and 49 minutes, Algol dims noticeably and re-brightens by about a third when a fainter companion star with an orbit nearly edge-on to Earth crosses in front of its much brighter primary, reducing the total light output we perceive. Algol normally shines at magnitude 2.1, similar to the nearby star Almach (aka Gamma Andromedae). But while fully dimmed, Algol’s brightness of magnitude 3.4 is almost identical to Rho Persei (or Gorgonea Tertia or ρ Per), the star sitting just two finger widths to Algol’s lower right (or 2.25 degrees to the celestial south). On Sunday evening, February 16 at 6:56 p.m. EST (or 23:56 GMT), Algol will start to fade from its usual brightness. At that time it will be shining very high in the western sky, below the bright star Capella. Five hours later, at 11:56 p.m. EST (or 04:56 GMT on Monday), Algol will have faded to its minimum brightness. It’s location at that time will be in the lower part of the northwestern sky.